


Modern Love

by sanctum_c



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Awkward Sexual Situations, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Female Solo, Ignoring Before Crisis, Ignoring Crisis Core, Ignoring Ultimanias, Male Solo, Masturbation, Mentions of Aerith Gainsborough/Zack Fair, Outdoor Sex, Sex, Sexual Content, canon splice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:12:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 49,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1406113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Aeris leaned into him and for a heart-stopping moment Cloud thought she was going to kiss him. The moment passed and instead her lips drew level with his ear; he felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment. She was so close he could smell her; the scent of dirt and flowers clung to her skin. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>"It's a shame Mom is in this evening," she said, just above a whisper. "Otherwise we could have had some fun together. If you'd like... Cloud." Warm breath tickled his ear, his blood pulsed and he hardened as his mind scrambled to parse the words. He tried to discern if she was implying what his snap interpretation indicated. He turned his head and her gaze slid to meet his, her smile quirking a little more. "Maybe if you slept in a bit in the morning, after Mom goes to work... Well, then we could see about relaxing a bit before we get you back to your friends."</i>
</p>

<p>Moments of Cloud and Aeris's unconventional relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Elmyra's House

**Author's Note:**

> I owe a tremendous debt to Raaj for asking the question that inspired this fic, discussing the ideas and suggesting the title (which was miles better than anything I came up with. There was also the exchange of increasingly silly euphemisms for possible titles (which she also won because I could not possible top "In Which Aerith Shows Cloud the Promised Land")). Also reading the earlier drafts, correcting my grammar and telling me when things simply weren't working.
> 
> The question Raaj posed was essentially: Could Cloud and Aerith have sex during the events of _Final Fantasy VII_ without derailing canon? After a bit of debate, we came to the conclusion it was plausible but had to be handled a specific way and the rest of the party could not know it was happening.
> 
> The fic is designed as a canon-splice (fitting into the game's storyline unless specifically depicted otherwise), but also ignores most of the _Compilation_ additions (official time-line, _Crisis Core_ and _Before Crisis_ ).

Aeris stood with a mischievous smile as she told him they would be going through Sector Six the next morning. Cloud nodded, turning to head to his room when she spoke again and took a step towards him. The sight of her was intoxicating. He tried to maintain his mercenary stance but his gaze kept winding up on her neckline where it dipped to expose the swell of her breasts. It was hard to ignore the number of unfastened buttons on her dress and how much bare skin it exposed when she moved. Even her eyes had trapped him; emerald-green irises arrested his attention and it was near impossible to look away.

Now she was in his personal space, her face next to his. Her chest was closer than expected, the delicious sight of her cleavage irresistible. Aeris leaned into him and for a heart-stopping moment Cloud thought she was going to kiss him. The moment passed and instead her lips drew level with his ear; he felt an odd mixture of relief and disappointment. She was so close he could smell her; the scent of dirt and flowers clung to her skin. 

"It's a shame Mom is in this evening," she said, just above a whisper. "Otherwise we could have had some fun together. If you'd like... Cloud." Warm breath tickled his ear, his blood pulsed and he hardened as his mind scrambled to parse the words. He tried to discern if she was implying what his snap interpretation indicated. He turned his head and her gaze slid to meet his, her smile quirking a little more. "Maybe if you slept in a bit in the morning, after Mom goes to work... Well, then we could see about relaxing a bit before we get you back to your friends." 

Her words were strengthening his arousal and he hoped she would not notice it through his uniform. What should he say? What could he say in this situation? Did she mean it or was she just teasing? How had he reacted last time he had received an offer like this? It seemed so long ago, the memory hazy. His mouth went dry, and he looked away trying to gather his thoughts as she stepped back. Did her eyes dip just then? Had she glanced towards his belt just as he looked back at her? If she did notice his arousal she made no comment and instead walked to the stairs, pausing on the top step. "Sector Six is dangerous. You'd better get some rest tonight," she said, louder than a moment before.

Cloud nodded with awkward movements as she smiled over her shoulder and bade him goodnight. He watched as she descended the stairs and glanced downwards to see if he had given himself away. Was the bulge too obvious? Too late now. He sighed before entering the spare room and pushing the door closed behind him. His mind still churned with her offer as he sat on the bed. She could not have been suggesting they have sex could she? He fidgeted, trying to banish the fantasies that began playing out in his head. Unbuttoning the pink dress and exposing more of her skin. The feel of her skin on his. Sliding her underwear down her legs, now reaching between them and-.

No! He slammed a fist onto his leg. The pain helped for a moment and he concentrated on it. He had to stop thinking about this. Pleasuring himself was right out; he was in a spare room in a stranger's house. How mortifying would it be if either of the women heard him, or one of them burst into the room without warning. Nerve-wracking visions of a horrified Elmyra filled his head as she entered to find him with his pants around his ankles. That could only end with her chasing him from the house with a broom. He lay down on the bed, focusing on the ceiling. Aeris appeared unbidden in his mind; trying to think of something else seemed futile. His gaze roved around the unfamiliar, cramped room. There was nothing here besides an old sofa taking up most of the floor space.

There was nothing to do, he felt horny, he wanted to get moving but he could not even risk heading out on his own for a good few hours. He thought back, trying to recall other memories to distract from the far too appealing imaginings of Aeris. But everything seemed to slip away as he concentrated. There seemed to be nothing in his head aside from those vivid memories of fire and the concerned face of Tifa when she found him at the station. Focus on Tifa; he needed to get back to her and Barret. He would wait for Aeris and her mother to go to sleep and then make his way back to Avalanche alone. Like he had promised Elmyra, he would not let get Aeris mixed up with him. 

The bed beneath him was soft and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. How long had it been since he had last slept in a bed like this? Too long. His eyelids drooped and he felt sure he could risk a few minutes, maybe even a few hours to let Aeris go to bed. His mind latched onto the appealing combination of both 'Aeris' and 'bed'. With a last thought of emerald green eyes, he fell asleep.

 

Cloud's eyes blinked open. The last vestiges of his dreams still lingered. How long had it been since he had last thought of his mother? Her words made him smile; he had not liked her suggestion of an older girlfriend back then. But he had only just turned sixteen and had not yet met Aeris. She was older; it was only by a year but she was still an older girl. The thought dragged up all those wonderful, teasing words Aeris had spoken. The words he had tried so hard not to think about. He could not think of them now; he had to get moving.

Cloud eased himself up off the bed, thankful the bed-springs were silent. The floors were wooden, and in the interests of stealth, he decided to remove his boots. Straight from his door to the stairs, down those and then out into Sector Five. There was a squeaky floorboard between his room and the next. Likewise he should avoid the third step from the bottom of the staircase. Boots in one hand, and taking a deep breath, Cloud edged the door open, trying to be as quiet as possible. The house was still and silent. Early morning light lit up the interior; unusual for the slums, though unsurprising given the plate gap above them.

By his estimation it was around 5 am. Early enough for the other inhabitants to still be asleep, but cutting things close if Aeris or her mother rose early. He stepped out into the hall, ears straining for movements within the other two rooms. One was Aeris's and he had a feeling it was the one beside his. He paused, looking at the door. He needed to get back. He had to get back. And yet... No it would not do to tarry here just for the sake of sex. And neither could he risk Aeris getting dragged into Avalanche's business. He had gotten her back to her house, safe and sound just as she had requested. And while he had not had the date, he would take the accommodation as payment enough.

Cloud crept forward, stepping over the troublesome floorboard and pausing at the top of the stairs. He listened for movement from the other occupied rooms. Nothing. He descended the stairs with as much haste as he dared. The stone floor of the ground floor was freezing, and Cloud gritted his teeth as he moved from the final wooden step. He darted across the chill flagstones and then onto the rug in the centre of the room. Stepping over another stretch of cold stone he reached the door. Easing it open, he mouthed a silent apology to Aeris for leaving like this and a thank you for her part in his survival the previous day. The dirt path outside felt warm against his feet after the cold stone. Despite his best efforts the click of the latch sounded far too loud as he pulled the door to. With a last look at the cottage and its oasis of plant-life, he strode into the murkier depths of Sector Five.

* * *

After she bade her Mom goodnight Aeris pushed her door closed and leant against it. She reflected on what she had said to Cloud on the landing. How she had hinted at what she wanted and seen his non-verbal response. She first met him two nights ago in the chaotic aftermath of the Reactor One explosion. She looked into his blue, mako-tinged eyes and later found herself unable to shake the thought of him as she rode the train back to the slums. A smile quirked her lips whenever he appeared in her mind's eye. He had been a real cutie, so appealing and enticing but she was realistic; her thoughts were nothing more then idle fantasy. Especially when they involved another SOLDIER.

She had never quite gotten over Zack Fair's disappearance. Never stopped waiting; even as weeks became months. There had been no word, no messages and now years had slid by. She could not believe he was dead; at least then she would have expected some news. Was it a betrayal then? Had he met someone on his mission, found some new partner who appealed to him in a way she never could? Did he have kids now? Zack Fair: family man. Living in a mundane suburb on the upper plates, never sparing a thought to his one-time slum-lover? Stop. Dwelling on that was not going to do her any good. She should hate him. Hate him for abandoning her. But it was difficult to hate Zack Fair, and even now with a Zack-shaped hole in her life, she could not conjure up the emotion. All she had was loss and a desire to know what had happened.

Two days later she still thought Cloud looked cute. He lay slumped and unconscious in amongst her flowers after his dramatic entrance. She found herself wondering what he knew. There was a chance he could tell her what had happened to Zack. He was a SOLDIER; she could just ask him if he knew anything. Even in the absence of official word, there had to be gossip amongst the ranks. She stared up through the shattered timbers to see what was above them. The church sat below the gap in the upper plates and all that lay above them was the hulking mass of the sector's mako reactor. She looked back down at the man in the flowers. What were the chances? After dismissing those little fantasies about him. After accepting the troublesome fact that she did not know his name, where to find him or how to contact him. After all that, he had fallen right into her lap.

She watched him as he slumbered, relieved he was still breathing. SOLDIERs were hardier then she suspected. It was an hour or two later when he finally showed signs of stirring. Faint groans and almost inaudible whispers attracted her attention. She leaned over as he opened his eyes, smiling at his confusion, explaining where he was and bade him hello again. He remembered meeting her, his words giving her a pleased thrill. So, while she thought about him, he had been thinking about her?

Then he flipped himself to his feet. The movement stalled her thought processes. The trick was all too familiar. It was one of Zack's favorites for getting up; she had never seen anyone else do it. The move was not in itself evidence of anything; someone could have taught Zack to do it. Cloud could have learned the same way. Maybe it was just a cool thing SOLDIERs could do to impress the girls. The thought amused her. Show off. Just like him. She dismissed the similarity, but then found coincidences kept piling up. Here was an odd turn of phrase she had heard Zack use, there was a familiar nervous tick and a fidget. He reminded her so much of Zack and at the same time was a complete stranger. Maybe all these little details were common to SOLDIERs; she had only known one after all and had no basis for comparison.

But those thoughts evaporated when she looked into his beautiful blue eyes again. Her gaze wandered to the rest of him; his almost feminine face and lithe body. So different from Zack's stockier physique. She wanted to tease the shock of blonde hair between her fingers, and now those little fantasies were growing bolder. What would it be like to run her hands across his bare chest, the two of them naked and her straddling Cloud-. She bit her lip trying to stem the mental images and the effect they were having on her body. She wanted him. She wanted to touch this gorgeous man she kept meeting and she wanted him to touch her. It had been too long since she last had sex.

The Turk's intrusion gave her an opportunity to stay with Cloud. It also gave her the chance to plant the seed of something more between them. He only paused a moment when she promised a date in exchange for his duties as a bodyguard and then nodded in agreement. He moved with quick, efficient movements as he fended off the Turk's cronies. Together they ran along the church's rafters and out onto the rooftops. They talked, she flirted and he teased. He did not see her as fragile; he let her make her own leaps and jumps across the scattered debris they scrambled over. It felt so natural to talk to this man, this SOLDIER.

She almost asked him about Zack. She commented on his eyes and how it related back to that most distinguishable feature of those in SOLDIER. But the question died on her lips as she looked into his eyes again. His pupils ringed with that same band of glowing green that identified his profession. But when he tried to press her on how she knew about mako eyes, she could not respond. She felt a little guilty then; all this comfortable talking, her stray thoughts in the church, her desire. Not only was not looking for a new boyfriend, he was too much like Zack. The similarity put a damper on any thoughts of opening herself up to another, to risk suffering the same hurt again. But; they were both adults, and if he was willing there was no problem in indulging in a physical relationship. She wondered when and how best to broach the subject. Maybe at home if Mom was still out? And if she was, then maybe she could enjoy herself with him. She charged off across the rooftops. And still the desire for him lingered. She found herself fidgeting more and more, trying to dismiss daring imaginings from her mind. As fast as she could she guided him to her house. With a deep breath, she opened the door and found her mother cooking dinner. Her heart sank.

She expected her mother to chase Cloud off immediately, but Elmyra was at least civil to her daughter's bodyguard. She also seemed to turn events in a direction helpful to Aeris's fantasies. Cloud wanted to get back to Sector Seven to meet up with Tifa. A girl he confirmed, but not his girlfriend. Well, no problems with her interest there. Her mother noted the time and Aeris had to agree that she did not relish the thought of Sector Six when night fell. With Cloud she would have no real worries on the way there, but the way back was another matter. More than likely she would need to find somewhere to crash two Sectors over. But instead of turfing Cloud out of the house, her mom invited him to stay, and that was almost too tempting a situation to pass up.

Aeris made up the spare bed, her heart hammering in her chest, but when Cloud came up the stairs he seemed distracted. Her mother was just downstairs, but she had to make her offer, had to know if she could have her fantasy. She made her hint about what could happen come the morning. He reacted, his pupils dilating as she spoke, his gaze grazing her neckline. She flicked her eyes downward and saw his body respond. Now that was gratifying; she had tempted him. With a smile she bade him goodnight and descended the stairs, giving him at least a chance to sleep. 

 

She pushed herself up from the door, ears straining for any sounds from the next room; there were none. He was still in there at least. Crossing to her bed she retrieved her contraceptives from the bedside table. She regarded the remaining strip of condoms and the thin blister packs of her birth control; she had more than enough for now. Just as well she had not decided to go with Cloud this evening - it might not have been so easy or subtle to sneak these out with her. She pushed them into her jacket pocket and glanced at the wall separating them. As long as Mom didn't wait until he left in the morning to head to work, she could have some fun. She could wait until then.

Desire washed over her and she rubbed her thighs together. She was never going to sleep while she was horny like this. She changed into her nightwear and crawled into the bed. He was so close; right there on the other side of the wall. She slipped her hand between her legs, finding herself already slick. Her mind whirled with thoughts of stripping away Cloud's clothes and running her hands across his body. She would push him down onto the spare bed and press herself against him. Her fingers rubbed faster, her pulse racing, her other hand kneading her breast. Her mind conjured up images of Cloud now lying beside her running his hands and tongue across her body. In her mind's eye she could see him kneeling between her legs, hard and ready. He slipped inside her and she came, stifling her gasp of pleasure with the back of her hand. She let her muscles relax as her orgasm began to fade, settling against the bed, contented for now. Her mind soon drifted back to the pleasurable possibilities of the next morning even as she grew drowsy.

 

The sound of the front door closing woke Aeris. Had that been Cloud leaving? She strained her ears for further noises, catching the faint crunch of boots on the path outside. Flinging her bed clothes aside she dressed at speed. He was not leaving her behind. She threw open her door and hurried down the stairs, not caring about the noise. Pausing only to snatch her staff up from beside the door, she ran out into Sector Five. She knew the area better than Cloud, knew to take the more secret back-ways and shortcuts to get ahead of the SOLDIER.


	2. Wall Market

Cloud stared at himself in the changing room mirror. He was in a dress shop deep within the Sector Six area known as Wall Market. A custom-made dress of purple silk hung beside him and scattered around his feet were various accessories. He and Aeris had spent the last hour scrounging them from the slum district. They included a blonde wig, a bottle of perfume, a tiara and a pair of black bikini briefs. The last and most embarrassing component was all he was currently wearing. Maybe he should just forgo this last extra piece of disguise; obtaining them had been bad enough. He had no intention of letting anyone look under his skirt under any circumstances, so did he need these too? He looked at his reflection once again.

His face was now beautiful. The girls of the Honeybee Inn had only smirked for a moment when he made his unusual request and set about softening his features. This was his first opportunity to see the bee girls' impressive handiwork. His time in their dressing room had been distraction after distraction. The girls had shown no embarrassment about the man in their midst, unconcerned that he saw everything as they changed. The revealing clothes and nudity of the Bee Girls had aroused him almost to breaking point. He kept looking away from the near-naked girls only to find yet another mirrored surface that gave him an eyeful of female flesh. As a result the itch in his loins was becoming maddening. He wasn't sure he had ever been quite this horny, and without any way to relieve himself. Every touch from Aeris now excited him, and she delighted in taking his hand or arm as she guided him around the seedy area. 

He shook his head. This was no time to be thinking about sex. He had to get Tifa out of Don Corneo's clutches. The stealth approach, while unusual, did reduce the risks of just bursting in through the front doors. But what was Aeris thinking putting herself in danger for a man she had known for less than a day and a girl she did not know at all? Even as he tried to convince her to head home, she wound up chasing after the chocobo cart ferrying Tifa into Wall Market. And how had she come up with the notion that Cloud should cross-dress? He sighed. He could not think about Aeris right now - he had to figure out what they would do after they got into the mansion. An almost welcome, distracting thought occurred to him; the Buster Sword. He could not carry that into Corneo's domain slung over his shoulder or locked to the magnetic harness he wore. They would need to hide it somewhere and come back for it later.

"Cloud, what's taking you so long-" Cloud looked up to see Aeris pushing open the curtain shielding him from the rest of the shop. He panicked and dropped his hands to his crotch as he turned away from her. Her eyes did not leave his face but Cloud could feel the flush suffusing his cheeks as he responded.

"A-Aeris... I won't be long."

Aeris pushed her way into the small booth, pulling the curtain straight behind her. "I just thought you could use some more help," she said. "You're not used to dresses or lingerie after all." Cloud nodded, not moving his hands. "So, I figured I'd help you get ready. And we did forget one thing for you. Here." She held up a bra and handfuls of a squishy material. "Despite your remarkable make-up job, I still think you'd give a better impression with some breasts of your own."

Cloud could only nod, wondering how they had lost sight of something like that yet had bothered to get him panties. He didn't feel able to move, and after a moment Aeris sighed. "Come on, we need to get you ready. We're running out of evening to do this in."

Cloud nodded with reluctance. "What first?"

She smiled at him. "Bra I think. Here." She crossed behind him and pressed into him. His breath caught at the feel of her clothed body against his almost nakedness. Her skin was warm where it touched his own as she passed the garment around him, and hooked it together across his chest. She twisted it around, fingers skimming over his skin, exciting him more. Bra in position, Aeris slipped the straps over Cloud's arms and seated them on his shoulders. 

"That okay? Not too tight?"

"I think so," Cloud replied, breathing in and out a few times. "Yeah, that's okay."

"Good. Now for your breasts."

Still behind him, she reached around and pulled the cup away from his skin. Her fingers brushed him as she pressed the bundle of material into the cup. The pads of her fingers kept catching his nipples, sending tiny unfamiliar thrills through his chest. When the same happened with the second fake breast, he realized this could not be accidental. She was teasing him. With a final kneading squeeze, Aeris peered over Cloud's shoulder to check her handiwork. 

"Perfect." 

She dropped her hands to his waist, but made no move to pull away from him. Cloud enjoyed the feel of her behind him, her breasts pressed into him and the warmth of her skin on his. There was a soft sensation on his left shoulder blade, a brush of even softer skin against his own. Her right hand slipped down a little further, toying with the skin just above his groin.

Cloud sucked in a breath as the teasing fingers stroked his skin. He closed his eyes. He was harder then he'd ever been before and craving release. There was no way Aeris could miss his body's reaction to her now. Her hand moved, sliding along the waistband of the briefs and around onto his back. The warmth of her body faded as he heard Aeris take a step backwards. 

"Okay." She sounded a little out of breath. Cloud opened his eyes and her reflected gaze caught his. She looked flushed. "I think you can manage the dress on your own; just be careful not to smudge the make-up. Do you want me to help with the wig?" Her stilted talking smoothed even as Cloud felt at a loss for words.

"N-no. I think I can get that."

She smiled and pushed back through the curtain. As soon as it dropped back, Cloud slumped against the wall. She had come so close to touching him and now he wished she had dropped her to drop her hand just a little lower. He was getting distracted again. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. As enjoyable as it had been, he had a basic issue with hiding his masculinity like this and arousal was not going to help. He took another deep breath, and dropped into a short series of squats to re-centre himself. He softened, the briefs less constrictive and the bulge less obtrusive. Better.

He stepped into the dress, pulling it up and onto his shoulders. He stared; the tailor had known what he was doing when he cut the dress. Cloud's own slim physique helped, but the real achievement was in the seams and lines of the dress. Even without the wig he looked like his hypothetical sister. He pulled the wig on, tucking stray tufts of hair under the elasticated band and balanced the tiara on top. A quick spritz of perfume around himself and the effect was complete. He almost wanted to laugh; Cloud Strife was no longer visible in the mirror.

Taking another deep breath he pushed the curtain open and walked out into the main shop. His eyes caught the delighted face of Aeris.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," said the tailor, eyes watching as he moved.

"You're right." His daugher checked Cloud over. "Should we try and get into this market?" 

Her father nodded. "Yeah. Yeah I think we will. That was an interesting challenge."

The girl beamed at Cloud. "Thanks for giving us the inspiration for something new. You can have the dress on the house."

"Thank you," Aeris said as she watched her companion stride. She frowned. "Cloud, walk more nicely. Like this." She walked past him, prompting him to watch the motions of her hips and legs.

"...nicely?" Cloud walked with stiff motions and then with increasing confidence he replicated her movements.

Aeris still looked a little red as she watched him. "You are a cute one Miss Cloud." Her gaze flitted around the room. "I want a dress too. Do you have one that will look good on me?" The shopkeeper and his daughter suggested a few different dresses, before Aeris seized on a shimmery red dress. "This one I think." She paused a moment, before pulling a pair of matching shoes from the floor. "I'm going to try it on. No peeking." Her gaze lingered on Cloud as she spoke and, just before she pushed the curtain closed, she winked at him.

* * *

Aeris winked at Cloud as she pulled the curtain closed. She would not mind the him peeking or helping her change. The thought of his arms around her gave her a pleasurable little shiver. Maybe he would act on her flirting? She paused, but the curtain remained undisturbed. She was not too disappointed; this was not the best place to get hot and heavy. Aeris slipped her jacket off, undid a few buttons on her dress and pulled it over her head. She folded her clothes, smiling at the memory of Cloud's skin.

She gazed at her new dress for a moment, pleased with her choice but now noticed the thin straps. She unhooked her bra and dropped it into the bag alongside her other belongings. Ah, for Cloud to come in right now. She spared another glance towards the curtain, but he failed to appear on cue. With a sigh she removed the dress from its hanger and stepped into it. The material was cool and soft against her skin. It was an unfamiliar, but delicious tactile sensation so unlike her comfortable yet worn sun dress. It clung in just the right places, accenting her chest with the help of the low cut neckline. The slitted skirt ended mid-thigh and swished as she moved, the motion revealing more of her leg. Almost perfect. Looking at herself in the mirror with a critical eye, Aeris decided her braid did not suit the dress. She undid the ribbon, letting the tiny sphere of materia drop into her hand as she teased out the coiled hair. It would have looked better if she had a hairbrush to hand, but she made do with her fingers to comb her hair as straight as possible.

Her hair cascaded down her back in a wild wave. She decided it looked okay as she tugged at a few more knots. She slipped the materia back into the ribbon as she retied it around her hair. Aeris turned to the side watching the way her hair moved and how it looked looked along-side the red dress. Had she chosen this dress just to get inside the mansion, or was this another way of signaling to Cloud just what she wanted from him? She smiled at herself; no harm in it being both. She had already made the decision that he would not slip away from her again, not after he had almost managed it earlier. Back before she got ahead of him and waited at the border of Sector Five. Before they paused in park, and before they saw Tifa. She recognised the cart; few in the slums were ignorant of its owner and the fate of those seen ferried away in it. Whatever Cloud's friend had got herself involved in, Aeris was not going to let her get dragged down into the mire the Don ruled over.

She stepped into the new red shoes. Heels were never her first choice of footwear around Midgar, especially when fleeing the Turks. But her boots did not fit with her new dress any more then her braid did. She appraised her completed outfit in the mirror. This would work. Gathering her bag up she pushed open the curtain and walked out into the shop. Cloud stared as she emerged, his eyes trying to avoid her cleavage after first running from her head to her toes and back again.

"So. How do I look?" She asked with a quirking smile and a twirl. Cloud flushed and shook his head. "You're no fun," she said as the owner's daughter let out a quiet breath.

"That dress is really somethin'" she murmured, her father nodding in agreement.

"I love it." Aeris turned and smiled at them both. "Thank you both so much. You've really helped us out." She turned to her companion. "Ready to go Miss Cloud?"

Cloud nodded, concentrating on his movements as they stepped out into the bustling heart of Wall Market. They both got a lot more attention now. Men's heads turned as if drawn by magnets. Eyes flicked to her chest and legs, only then rising to her face. Shouted vulgar compliments accompanied the salacious looks. Cloud did not escape similar attention and despite his discomfort Aeris was somewhat glad. She had been right; Cloud not only passed for a woman - he was now beautiful.

Now they had made themselves far too attractive to the local populace, Aeris wanted to get this rescue over with. Cloud shifted the sword he held in one hand, trying to keep his body between it and any passers by. Several men had already noted the blonde clutching the heavy sword. A few made comments about a less unwieldy weapon they wanted her to hold for them, but their companions ushered them away. There was an assumption on many people's part that they were part of a notorious Shinra associate's entourage. The executive's role-players were often seen in the sector and always given a wide berth. The female SOLDIER with the sword was a new component, but given some of the earlier costumes not surprising. Aeris watched Cloud's brow become furrowed, his fingers twitching on the hilt of the sword. 

"I think I need to hide this somewhere," he said, eyes in constant motion amongst the throngs of people.

Aeris smiled. "It does seem a little incongrous. And I certainly don't think we want you demonstrating that you can handle a sword perfectly well before we get in."

Cloud nodded, head twitching away from another barrage of innuendo. Aeris lead him through the sector towards one of the outlying areas. Under normal circumstances she avoided Wall Market if at all possible. On the occasions when she did wind up here, she would not dare stray into the dingier, less trafficked areas. This time she was not alone and had little doubt Cloud could deal with anything they encountered despite his disguise. The throb of music faded and the foot traffic reduced to a few hurrying shapes in the gloom around them. Not a place to dawdle. Cloud surveyed a shadowy corner beside huge red graffiti that towered above them. "This should be fine," he said before lifting the sword and ploughing it deep into the ground. The blade passed without resistance into hardened concrete, a good proportion of the blade now buried.

"Are you sure it'll be safe here?" Aeris glanced at Miss Cloud.

"I think so; as long as another SOLDIER doesn't run across it. Besides, these things are mass produced by Shinra. Seeing one lying around shouldn't alert anyone."

She nodded and as he turned to head for the mansion she stopped him.

"Cloud... Can we... talk a moment?"

He turned, and she could not help but admire him as a girl all over again. His perfect physique, his blonde hair, the already feminine face enhanced by make-up. "What is it?"

Aeris drew in a breath and stepped forward. "I like you Cloud. I really like you. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. Even if you did try and run off." Cloud smiled and ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Aeris, I-"

She took another step and interrupted him. "I meant what I said last night." Her tone was warm as she took a further step. "I wanted you to stall this morning until my mother was gone." A final step and she was right beside him. "I'm not looking for love or commitment, but I do want company. I want to feel good again, and I want you to help me... if you're interested."

Aeris reached out to touch the waist of his dress and then her fingertips darted up to his chest in-between his fake breasts. He had not responded, but his heart was hammering in his chest, and she could just about see the hints of a blush beneath the make-up. His body was already saying 'yes', but she needed him to say it. "Will you help me, Cloud? Will you..." She played coy, hoping it would still coax the response she wanted. "Sleep with me?"

He sucked in a breath, his face fighting a smile that threatened to overwhelm his features. "Yes," he said. Her body reacted, a flush of excitement ignited like fire across her face, sweeping down her neck and onto her chest. A wonderful thrill flooded her belly, and deep within her an itch began craving attention. She needed Cloud to touch her and soon. She smiled back at him.

"Thank you, Cloud." She leaned into him, lips touching his for a second; she nudged them open with her own and darted her tongue into his mouth. Their first kiss. Too brief for her liking as she stepped back, laying a restraining hand on his chest as he tried to lean towards her. "Just for now. Just for now. It wouldn't do to mess up all that make-up before we've rescued Tifa." She reached for his hand, fingers lacing with his. "Once this is over... We'll arrange a time to meet?"

He nodded, his eyes now burning with desire. An eager smile spread across her face as Aeris lead Cloud back into the main part of Wall Market and towards Don Corneo's mansion.


	3. Kalm

Cloud ducked into the alleyway, his heart racing. Had any of his companions had noticed his detour? Not from what he could see; Tifa and Barret were still heading away from him. Aeris had taken the initiative to organize the party following the previous day's discussions. Red XIII was to scout around the edge of the small town for any clues on Sephiroth's destination. Aeris gave the others shopping lists of supplies they would need in the wilderness. Cloud had thought no more about it until he opened the folded slip of paper the she handed him. Rather than money and a list of items it instead contained a key and said: 'Hi Cloud! Leave with the others, wait five minutes and meet me back in my room. I already sorted things for us! Aeris.' So this was why Aeris had been up first this morning and why she had been waiting downstairs.

The implication of the note sent his pulse rate sky-rocketing again. He could not remember ever being this excited or nervous. He tried to ignore his erection as he darted out of the inn and waited for the time to pass. Five minutes felt like an eternity; the others were long gone and not due to regroup for a hour. Still, he bided his time as directed, waiting those long, agonizing minutes before returning to the inn. He glanced backwards, checking neither Barret or Tifa had wandered too close. Cloud avoided the innkeeper and other straggling guests as he made his way up to the girls' room. Pushing the key into the lock and opening the door sent excitement surging through his stomach. 

The room was empty. He felt trapped as a rush of nerves and embarrassment enveloped him. Had he misinterpreted the note somehow? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Had something held Aeris up somewhere? Was she not coming at all? Patience, he told himself. It had only been five minutes. But that left just fifty-five minutes for anything else, and every minute Aeris was late just ate into that time a little more. He swallowed, his right leg jigging as he sat on the bed and tried to take his mind off of the wait. Not easy. There was nothing to do. Nothing to read, nothing to watch, and his mind still surged with anticipation. Relax, relax he told himself. No good. He glanced at his watch. One more minute gone.

How long should he give her before going to look for her? Or perhaps it was better to think of it as show long he should wait before assuming she was not coming at all? Ten minutes? Fifteen? If she was not going to meet him then at least he had to go and get his provisions as it did not seem like she would have gotten them as she claimed. But then he had no idea what he should get. The scrape of a key in the door interrupted his thoughts, and his heart lurched, worried it might be Tifa, or some member of the staff. He hunched forward, ready to move, half-formed excuses now crowding his brain. The lock clicked open and to his immeasurable relief Aeris stepped into the room. Her face brightened into a wider smile and he felt himself smiling in response. Blood rushed to his groin as she locked the door behind her and approached him. He stood, now unsure of what to do. Should he lean forward and kiss her, or would they talk first? Should they kiss or hug or should he just start stripping?

"Hi..." he tried, buying himself just a little more time to sort out his absent memories.

"Hi," she responded with a smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her body up against his. He shuffled his waist a little away from hers, concerned she might feel his erection. His shaking hands rose to her waist, feeling the warm, soft body beneath the dress. The softness of her breasts was against him, her arms warm against his neck. He was at a complete loss for words, but it ceased to matter as Aeris brought her lips to his. Like in Wall Market, just this contact felt like an electric shock running through him. Her lips parted, his lips moving with hers and after a pause her tongue slipped into his mouth. What should he do? This was absurd, how could he forget how to kiss? The thought was flustering, bewildering, embarrassing. He mimicked the Aeris's movements for now, memories of former kisses escaping him. The only fragments he could conjure were from half-forgotten films watched years before.

Aeris's lips now moved to his neck. The touch of her mouth against the sensitive skin awoke strange shivery sensations that made him quiver. "How long has it been?" she asked between kisses.

He paused, considering as her lips and teeth grazed his ear lobe. He gasped and murmured, "Too long. I might be a bit rusty."

She pulled back to look into his eyes. "It's been quite a while for me as well. I apologize if I'm rusty too." She brought their lips together again, hands now slipping down onto his chest, stroking as they dropped lower. Rusty? How could she think she was rusty? She seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She stepped closer, moving into him, her hands cupping his bottom and pulling their hips together. His erection pressed into her, causing her to break the kiss and exhale a low moan of appreciation. Cloud took this as a cue, mimicking her motion, running his hands around to her back and down to her rear.

"Mmm," she murmured as their lips met again. Somehow this was daunting, but before he could wonder why Aeris's right hand slid over groin. There was too much in the way, far too much, but he could feel the heat of her hand through the fabric of his pants. He broke their kiss to moan at her touch and as her lips sank to his neck again she gave him another squeeze inciting a louder moan.

Aeris let go of his erection, running her hands up and under his shirt. Her skin blazed as she moved across his stomach, circling around him and running up his back. Oh, that felt good. He started running his hands up her body, sliding up to her waist and then onto her breasts. He had forgotten so much. There was a dress and bra between them still, but the soft skin beneath his hands felt glorious. His fingers flexed with care, not wanting to injure her with his enhanced strength and earned a low moan from her as he did. Emboldened, he repeated the motion. He wanted to touch her skin too. Clumsy fingers moved to the buttons of her dress, his hands shaking as he tried to undo the first. Aeris stepped back and an absurd worry stabbed through him. Had he been too bold? How could he have been when she touched him like that first? Fear melted away as he saw her. Her eyes were dark with desire and she was breathing hard. "Let me get rid of this for you," she offered.

She slipped the bolero jacket from her shoulders and kicked off her boots. As she undid the top two buttons of the dress Cloud caught a glimpse of her breasts before she pulled her whole dress up and over her head. Hair disheveled and face flushed, she hung the dress on the back of the door and returned to Cloud. She pushed against him again, her body molding along his, a finger toying with his shirt. "You know you're wearing too much at the moment, right?"

"Right." His voice was little more then a whisper, and it was with reluctance he took a step back to remove his boots. He tried to kick them off as she had, but he had laced them too tight. Flustered, he dropped back onto the bed, shaking fingers pulling at the knots and tangling them further. Need to be faster, he thought aware of time slipping away as he struggled. At last the knots untangled. He pushed his boots off with his heels and stripped his shirt off in one fluid motion as he stood up. His hands wavered a moment, settling onto the fastening of his pants, but Aeris gave him a chiding look combined with a sly smile.

"Fair's fair, Cloud."

He let his pants fall to the floor. Aeris stepped forward, her arms snaking around him again, their skin touching in more places now. Everything about her was warm and soft. His hands were on her waist and slipped to cup her bottom again. She kissed him once more, but this time he broke the kiss, almost amazed at his own daring. "I don't think we're quite fair at the moment," he said looking down into her eyes.

"No?" she asked as her lips touched his chest.

"No." He replied, nervous at what he was about to say. "You're still wearing more then me."

She smiled at the comment. "Want to help me with that?"

Okay, this he could do one-handed. It was what you did when you had sex. One hand remained on her waist as he slid the other hand up to her bra. He felt along the strap, and found the place it hooked together. Okay, simple; finger on one side, thumb on the other, bring together. That should spring it open. 

He struggled, the fabric slipping under his fingers, the hooks refusing to release. This was not as easy as he remembered. Hoping she wouldn't mind he slid his other hand up to assist. After a frustrating moment of fiddling, the garment unhooked and the tension in the elastic went. Aeris stepped back, her eyes locked on his as she let her bra fall away. Her exposed skin dragged his gaze downwards. He was certain his erection had never been this hard before as she slipped her hands around his neck again and pulled them together. Hardened nipples and soft skin pressed against his chest. Her breasts had felt good before, but this was so much better now they were skin to skin.

Aeris placed small kisses down his chest and captured one of his nipples between her lips. She teased it with her tongue sending little twinges of pleasure running through him. Cloud pulled away from her, moving his lips to her nipple and pursing his lips around it. She let out a wordless moan of pleasure. He flicked his tongue over her as his hand massaged her neglected other breast. Aeris trembled in response and gasped, "I think... I think we should lie down." Cloud raised his head, only able to nod as he felt the excitement build in his stomach. She slipped away from him and leant over the bed, sifting through the contents of her bag. Pulling out a strip of condoms, she detached one.

"Here," she said, offering him the small foil packet.

"You're prepared."

"I like to think I'm optimistic," she said with a smile, tapping the rest of the strip against her lips.

"Do I have to though?"

The smile faded. Aeris now looked at him with a little less passion and a little more sternness. "Yes. If you want to have sex with me, you need to put that on."

Cloud dithered, conflicting forces now raging in his head. He wanted to have sex, but some absurd voice was telling him he had only ever had one girlfriend who insisted on using condoms. It always felt so much better without. He knew he did not have any diseases, and as long as he was careful pregnancy should not be a risk. Aeris cut his thought process short by lying back on the bed and slipping her panties off, letting them fall to the floor. "Please, Cloud. I'm ready for you."

Words died in his throat as he looked at her propped up on her elbows. Aeris parted her legs revealing close-cropped curls and glistening lips. She trailed a finger down her body, sinking it inside herself. "Don't you still want to?" she said as he stared at her hand's movements. He nodded, pulling his own underwear down, pre-cum forming a sticky strand that severed as the garment dropped. She held out a hand. "Come here, I'll help you."

Cloud knelt on the bed beside her as Aeris tore open the packet and slipped the contraceptive out. He gasped as she held his erection with one hand, steadying him as she placed the rolled condom at the tip. With a practiced movement she unfurled it along his length the movement before gripping his arms and pulling him on top of her. He caught his weight on his hands, still kneeling up above her. Her legs curled around his and her hands took hold of his hips.

"You need to be a little closer for this, Cloud," she said, sighing as she pulled him between her parted legs. His knees slid apart as his body descended towards hers. She raised her legs, letting his slip underneath hers as he settled on top of her. "Ready?" she asked.

He could only nod in response and felt the heat of her fingers around him once more. She tugged and he lowered his body closer to hers, feeling his erection touch a spot of higher temperature. She pushed him back a little as she raised her hips, her legs sliding up to his waist. Pulled forward he felt heat enveloping the head of his cock for a moment before she let go.

He pushed his hips towards hers, feeling himself sink into damp heat and softness. She closed around him unlike anything he had experienced before. The sensations came from every direction at once, more pleasurable and intense then his own hand. So much better than any of his previous sexual encounters. He felt her tighten around him as he pushed and then everything went wrong.

With an awkward and unsatisfying feeling of release, Cloud came.

* * *

Aeris felt Cloud's entire body tense up. He froze, still inside her, his face switching from curious excitement to dismay. He trembled and ducked his head. "Sorry," he murmured.

"Cloud?" she asked, wondering what could be wrong. This whole encounter had been a little strange. Cloud's kiss had been awkward and inexperienced; that she had attributed to being rusty. He had fumbled with removing her clothing, but it depended on how his previous sexual encounters had run. Some of his attempts to keep their bodies apart and the stiffness of his movements were less explicable. They suggested less rust and more that his body had forgotten how to move while having sex. When was the last time he had gotten intimate with anyone? 

His reluctance over the contraceptive had washed away some of the worries; he spoke as if he had never had to use them before. She would admit they killed momentum and could lead to fumbling, but she felt reassured when her partners wore them. But now something else was wrong, and as her mind circled a less then pleasing possibility, Cloud slipped out of her. She caught sight of the trapped pearl white fluid in the condom. That was peculiar. Cloud wasn't acting as if he was rusty. It was as if he was a virgin. Well, had been a virgin. He avoided looking at her, his eyes downcast, his body slumped. He clambered off her and sat on the edge of the bed, shoulders hunched.

"Sorry," he murmured again, his voice breaking. The confident SOLDIER she'd known before was gone. In his place was someone younger. She'd watched him waver and fade as their foreplay had continued, but it wasn't until now that she saw this other side to Cloud. He peeled the condom off in a clumsy motion and tossed it towards the bin. All those odd moments that felt like a lack of practice had to be due to inexperience, all his confidence and calm had been a front of some kind. "I'm so sorry, Aeris." She pulled herself up and shuffled towards him, placing a comforting hand on his back.

"It's okay, Cloud. It's okay, I-"

"No." He turned a bit further away avoiding her eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never- I mean I've always... pleased my partners before."

Curious. Now would be the time to admit that she had deflowered him, but he was sticking to his story. Did he believe he had had sex? Had he slept with someone before and somehow lost his body's familiarity with physical contact?

"It really is okay, Cloud." She began, not wanting to spook him, just circling the subject from a safe distance. "When was the last time you slept with anyone?"

Cloud's body tensed a moment and relaxed. "It was..." He trailed off, frowning.

She fidgeted a bit closer, laying a second hand on his back. Once again he tensed up but relaxed faster this time. "Was it before you went back to Nibelheim?"

"No." The answer came quick and without thought. "I never- I mean, I never had a girlfriend in Midgar. No one even looked twice at me."

She smiled. "I can't believe that. A cutie like you?"

His head twitched, moving a fraction towards her. "You think I'm cute?" He sounded appreciative yet still nervous.

"Uh-huh." She pressed her lips to his shoulder with a slow, lingering movement. A quiver ran through him and his breath hitched.

"Even after I... couldn't last?"

"Even then." She pressed her lips against his other shoulder. He seemed to enjoy that. "So, you lost your virginity after you fought Sephiroth at the reactor?"

He paused a moment, and she crept a bit closer, leaning her body into his, breasts now brushing his back. "Yes..." There was a lack of certainty there.

"Tell me about it?"

"She... She..." He tensed again, and she took the opportunity to wind her arms around his waist, pressing herself against him. One of his hands came up to his brow.

Aeris broke the silence. "What was her name?"

"Mary." Once again this answer came quick.

"How old were you?"

"Seventeen." 

"How old was she?"

"Sixteen."

She continued to draw the components of the answer out of him. "Where did it happen?"

"Costa del Sol. In a hotel room."

"Exotic. On holiday by chance?"

"Y-yes." Hmm. Less sure on that detail.

"Did the same thing happen that time?"

"What? No! I mean I didn't... I just don't know what went wrong today." She had pushed him a little too far and his shoulders tensed again. "I don't know why I botched so badly. I'll just go."

Aeris spoke as he started to move. "Please don't."

Cloud turned and looked at her. She almost gasped when she saw his eyes. They were the same azure irises, still ringed with the green glow of mako, but now the intensity was gone. In its place was a more gentle gaze suffused with a mixture of fear, embarrassment and disappointment. "Are you sure? I messed up; I mean, did you get anything out of that?"

Aeris hooked her hands behind his head. "It felt good when you entered me."

Cloud dropped his head. "But you didn't get to c-come."

"I didn't," she admitted, studying his relaxed features. She liked this Cloud more. He was tense and angry with himself, but there was something new and appealing there. Something more personal, more open about him. Virgin or not, he had lost any bedroom skills he might have once possessed. Did she want to help him learn them? Yes. She had been fantasizing about sex with him for a while now. While brief, the moment of penetration had been a teasing taste of just what she'd been after. 

"I'm sorry." He gave another sigh.

"Want to make it up to me?"

He raised his head then and she smiled, the excitement begun before still tangible within her.

"Can I?" His gaze strayed to her crotch, and she saw his cock twitch. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, first you can kiss me," she said as she brought their lips together again. This time she fluttered soft kisses over his lips, gratified to feel his arms sliding around her. "Mmm. Now, come and lie beside me."

She lay down on the bed, shuffling over to the right and onto her side. Cloud lay flat on his back beside her. "No, no, lie on your side and curl around me." She murmured encouragement as she felt the heat of his skin along hers, his recovering erection pressing into her. She reached back with one hand and tugged his hand around her waist. Lifting her head she directed him to slip his other arm under her neck. She was now enveloped in the heat and scent of Cloud Strife, squirming against him, pressing herself as close as possible.

Slipping her fingers over the top of his she guided him up to her chest, squeezing his hand against her breast. "Yes... Okay, now start kneading." The pressure intensified as he squeezed, shifting his grip as the sensations flowed within her. "Oh, Cloud. Oh yes..." That was good. She pulled at his other hand, his arms crossing each other so he could touch both of her breasts. The motions of his hands, coupled with his naked skin against her back felt wonderful. But she needed more.

She gripped his right hand, pulling it away from her breast and sliding it down over her belly. She parted her legs and guided his hand between her thighs, pushing Cloud's hand over her lips. "Mmmm." Pressing down on his middle finger she pushed his hand, guiding his finger over her clit and between her lips. Electric sparks shot through her and she moaned. Too long. Far too long since someone else touched her like this. She pulled his hand back again, moving it up before pushing it deeper inside her. He caught the motion and continued to stroke her. 

"Yes!" she panted as he kept rubbing. She let go of his hand, her own moving back to clutch at her neglected breast. "A little... faster- ah!" She gasped as he complied, his finger gliding backwards and forwards over her clit. She moaned again, thrusting her hips back against him. His erection ground into her, hard, unyielding and almost ready. She pushed herself against it again, enjoying the sensation of the extra heat against her. "That's perfect... Cloud." She ground her hips back and this time he thrust forward with her, earning himself an appreciative moan. "Oh, you're sexy," she murmured. She slipped a hand up to cup his face, a little awkward from this angle. She was able to pull his head towards her, tilting her head away and exposing her neck.

"My... my neck... please. Oh-" His lips touched her neck. Just a peck, but followed by another. She squirmed, thrusting back against him, her back beginning to get slippery as Cloud became more excited. She slid her hand between their bodies, capturing his cock in a loose grip. Now it was his turn to moan and gasp into her shoulder. "Feels like... someone's ready to try again." She felt him twitch in her hand in response.

Aeris stroked him as best as she could, the motion distracting him. His pace faltered on her clit, and his other hand lay still on her breast. She twisted in his arms, pushing him back onto the bed. Leaning down to kiss him again, she was glad to feel his arms wrap around her waist after a moment of twitching uncertainty. One of his hands moved to cup her breast. He was getting the hang of this now. Still awkward, still stiff, but learning. Whether he had been a virgin or just had a strange gap in his memories, it did not matter right now. She coiled her hand around him again, stroking him with slow movements, pleased with the approving noise he made in his throat. She pulled away for a second to swipe another condom and rolled it onto him.

Aeris's hand darted between her legs to guide his cock as she straddled him. Cloud gritted his teeth as he slid inside her, his face reddening as she sat back flush against him. He was concentrating hard this time, and had not come yet. Better. Much better. She sat still for a moment, letting her body adjust to him. This time she was able to enjoy the stretch of her muscles, the first in far too long. She had not realized quite how much she had missed this sensation.

She leant forward taking her weight onto her hands as she raised her hips, luxuriating in the feel of him sliding out of her. She pushed her hips back towards his and moaned as he pushed up into her. The bed began squeaking under them as Aeris alternated rocking her hips against Cloud with thrusting on top of him. This was what she had been wanting. This was what she needed. She pulled Cloud's hands up to her chest, the sensation making her gasp.

"Aeris..." Cloud panted. He been concentrating for a while now, a worried look appearing on his face. "I'm... not sure... how long I can hold on. Sorry," he blurted, his breathing growing heavier alongside her own.

She kept thrusting against him, taking her weight onto one hand. "It's... okay... Cloud. Just try... Mmm... as hard as you can." She needed to come. Her fingers slipped to her slick clit and started to rub. She sucked in a hissing breath at the extra stimulation. It would be better if Cloud could do this too, but this good enough for now.

"Getting... close..." Cloud said, voice strained as his hands dropping away from her breasts to grip her thighs.

"Just... a... little... more," she said between pants, feeling her skin burning. The swell of her orgasm was building, her nipples a fraction away from painful. Her thrusts were becoming more forceful as she raced towards her climax.

"A-Aeris..."

"Cloud..."

"S-sorry, I can't..." His muscles tensed, his lips parting into a low, fulfilled gasp. He had tried his best at least and should still be hard for a few more moments. Aeris thrust faster, fingers stroking with a new frantic pace. Almost, almost... Her breathing hitched again as she rubbed herself as fast as possible, the wave of pleasure rising within her. Her muscles began tensing as she hit the point of no return, short, intense gasps escaping her mouth. She panted for a moment, fingers still rubbing before her muscles all tensed at once. She strained against him, her back arching as her orgasm exploded within her and she let out a long moan of pleasure. She collapsed on top of her partner, letting the sensations overwhelm her.

"Mmm," she purred as she braced herself up again with one arm, catching Cloud's left hand with her right and guiding it up to her breast. "Touch them, please." He complied and she strained against him. Aeris rocked her hips, eyes closed and body quivering as he touched her. She collapsed on top of Cloud, smiling and content as her arm gave out.

"Was that... better?" he asked, hands now gliding across her back. She stifled a small giggle and settled against him. 

"Much better." She exhaled, eyes wandering, enjoying the fading sensations that had wracked her. Her gaze fastened onto her watch. "Uh-oh."

"'Uh-oh?'" he echoed.

"We've got about five minutes before the others get back. We need to get out of here." She jumped off him, scrabbling on the floor for her underwear as Cloud began pulling on his own clothes.

"Aeris?"

"Mmm?" She replied as she pulled her dress back over her head and redid the buttons.

"Was that really okay? I mean, the second time?"

She slipped her arms into her jacket before turning to him and smiling. "It was." He looked relieved but then dithered, wanting to say something else. "You want to ask if we can do it again, don't you?" Aeris guessed. He nodded. "But you were afraid to ask in case I really didn't enjoy it?"

A reluctant nod then, accompanied by a quiet, "Yes."

She crossed to him, glancing at her watch. Two and a half minutes. "Cloud; I very much enjoyed having sex with you, and I assure you that I want to do it again. Soon." She pressed a quick kiss against his lips. "But." She stepped backwards pulling two bags from behind her bed. "For now, we have to pretend we've been shopping. We'll arrange another time later."

She left one bag on her bed and then darted out of the door, hearing Cloud exit just after her. Slipping around the side of the inn, she took a moment to compose herself before walking back. Cloud had run into Tifa just steps away from the building. His face reddened as he caught sight of Aeris and she greeted them both with a wave.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Red XIII as he padded towards the trio. As she turned to greet him his good eye narrowed and his nostrils flared. Red looked from her to Cloud and then back again causing a sudden knot of worry to drop into her stomach. Could he smell them on each other? Could he smell the remnants of their arousal and its presence on the other? Would he tell anyone?

She was more than a little relieved when Red shook his head with a sigh and padded past the three of them into the inn. She hoped he was not going to ask anything awkward later either. For a moment she entertained the notion of being warier around their companion, but dismissed it. If he had indeed picked up on their scents then he was going to be aware of each future coupling. If not he would be none the wiser. Either they needed to stop now or they would have to trust he would not say anything. Aeris hoped he was not one for gossip. 

"Are you okay Cloud? You look like you've been running or something," Tifa asked, frowning.

Cloud flushed redder, stuttering as he tried to choke out an excuse. Aeris decided to come to his rescue. "Cloud did you go all the way to the store on the other side of town? There's one just around the corner you know!" She giggled as Cloud played at exasperation and then Tifa was laughing with her. Cloud just flushed a little more, ducking his head in embarrassment. She caught his eye as he did though, noticing the grateful look for her intervention. A call from further along the street heralded Barret's return. Their preparations for hunting Sephiroth were complete.


	4. Chocobo Farm

"Wark?"

Cloud's excitement peaked when they reached the farm with its large pen of Chocobos. He held himself in check, not reaching out to pet the bright-yellow birds though it was hard to draw his attention away from them. Right now he wanted to ignore them, unhappy with the species. This was the third time he had managed to attract a chocobo without meaning to. It was also the first after he made a concerted effort to ensure the chocobo lure materia was inactive and nowhere near him. His feathered admirer was sending his companion into fits of giggles as the large bird jerked its head from side to side behind him. Fits of giggles were not conducive to having sex.

They were apart from the other three. Red XIII had chosen to remain behind at the farm stating he would not be much use for capturing wild chocobo. That left four humans who split into two groups. Since they only had three chocobo lure materia between them, Aeris volunteered herself to go with Cloud. She insisted his hair would be an effective alternate lure. While Barret and Tifa set out to the West of the farm, the other two headed East. Cloud plucked at a strand of blonde hair as they walked and asked Aeris if she thought he would attract chocobos with it. She laughed at the question, telling him she did not think it was that likely. She had been more looking for a reason to get him away from their companions for a short while.

His face flushed and he almost stumbled, his mouth twitching and threatening to break into a grin. He reached out his hand to take hers before stiffening and let his arm drop back to his side. It had been a week since they left Kalm and the two had avoided spending too much time together. Not that they avoided any and all contact; that would have been suspicious all by itself. They would walk together, talk together, sit together, but try to never make it look deliberate or too comfortable. At least that was what he was doing; Aeris seemed only too eager to link arms with him. He did nothing to dissuade it and missed her touch when she let go. She did the same thing to both Barret and Tifa; this was how she was with other humans it seemed. Red XIII she delighted in patting his nose despite his half-hearted attempts to stop her. 

Aeris had made no move or encouragement for another coupling since they set out and Cloud had made no attempt to seduce her. It never seemed possible due to the closeness of the group and the constant traveling together. Out here in the wilderness and well away from the others the delay made sense. The lack of privacy had concerned Aeris. As quiet as they might try to be, the sounds of moving bodies, gasps and held breaths would still be audible outside a tent. Even that privacy required both Barret and Red to be absent from his tent. Or that he could somehow get to Aeris's tent unseen and when Tifa was elsewhere. Then there would be the oh so knowing looks the next morning and assumptions about the relationship. How would the situation look to an outsider? When there was a basic physical attraction between them, but Aeris had nixed any possibility of a romance right from the start? She wanted a physical relationship, not an emotional one. Despite that he had almost reached out for her hand so many times now, wanting more physical contact. Even with the subterfuge and the delay he could not say the current arrangement was displeasing.

What magic she had she worked on him in that room in Kalm after he embarrassed himself? She had not judged his failure at pleasing her, instead she reached out to him even as he pulled away and talked to him. Speaking to her was easy, answering her questions about Mary and their time together in Costa del Sol with frank honesty. He had been so skilled that first time. Mary had been all soft skin, panting breath, encircling arms; he had left her both satisfied and begging for more. Despite his certainty the details escaped him. Her skin had been soft, but the tactile memories of her beneath his finger-tips or pressed against him were gone. He had made her pant, moan and beg, but he found himself substituting Aeris's voice in place of Mary's. He had been boastful at losing his virginity and had bragged about it. It felt mortifying to even contemplate doing that now. That trooper about her a year or two later had listened in rapt attention, the memory odd in its vividness contrasted to the others. The poor guy was always suffering motion sickness while in transit, but was a competent grunt in the field. He had been so shy around girls and had never gotten up the nerve to even talk to a single one.

He retained just enough memories of Mary to sate him during former nights. Now in the dark loneliness of the night, he relived the sights and sensations of Aeris straddling him. The sounds of her breathing, the moans that slipped from her mouth as she moved on top of him. The feel of her skin under his hands, her breasts pressed against him, the slick wetness enveloping his cock. To say his hand did not compare was an understatement. Now he was to have an opportunity again. But what to do first? Try to lure a chocobo for capture or get intimate? Aeris took the decision out of his hands by kissing him once they were well out of sight of the farmhouse. His body reacted, a fact that seemed to please her and she ground her hips into his. His hands were on her waist, and if he just reached forward a bit-

"Wark."

That had been chocobo one. It stared at the two humans as they both drew their heads apart to look back at the feathered interloper. The large yellow bird fluffed itself and continued staring.

"Cloud," Aeris said. "Did you activate the chocobo lure already?"

He shifted his arm and caught sight of the glowing sphere in his bangle. "Apparently." His brow furrowed. Was he so eager to see Chocobos he had initiated the lure while he should have only been thinking of Aeris?

She sighed. "Well," she said, dropping her arms away from him. "That's one at least. So what do you reckon? Should we let this one go, or hang on to it?"

"Well-" The chocobo interrupted by nuzzling its large, beaked head against him.

"I think she likes you."

"Seems to." Cloud reached up and ruffled the chocobo's head, the creature warbling with appreciation. "I guess we better hang onto this one. There can't be that many chocobos out here..."

Cloud deposited a few gyashal greens on the grass and secured the chocobo to a nearby tree. If nothing else it reduced messing around in the vague time-frame they had assigned themselves. Aeris stared at the huge bird and asked if she would be okay riding it.

"Should be," Cloud said. "Riding a chocobo can be picked up ridiculously fast and failing that we can just lead it if you don't feel able."

"I'd like to ride one myself if possible," she said. "Still, how about us?"

"Wark?"

Cloud looked at the chocobo. "Maybe somewhere a bit further away from this one?"

She smiled. "Sounds like a good plan."

They kept the caught chocobo in sight as they followed a rough path between scrappy bushes. Aeris turned on her heel and Cloud's lips pressed against something soft. His eyes closed as he surrendered into her kiss. He was still worked up from their earlier interruption, Aeris's hands now pulling at his shirt. His hands slid from her waist to her breasts, cupping them through her dress. He had never had sex outside before. What if they got caught? Some random passerby who happened to see him on top of Aeris, her legs wrapped around his waist would be embarrassing. But if it was one of their party? Red XIII would be shaking his head in bemusement, Barret rolling his eyes, or Tifa-

"Wark."

Cloud's eyes blinked open. Aeris's green eyes stared over his shoulder, and Cloud wondered if he had lured another chocobo or if the first had gotten loose. Standing before them and looking at them with avian confusion was another chocobo. 

Aeris pulled his sleeve up and sighed as she spotted the glowing orb. "Well, at least you did catch another one. But maybe you should deactivate the spell this time?"

Cloud nodded as he tickled the chocobo under its beak and slipped the reins around it. Two chocobos within minutes. Was there a record for catching the birds? "Well, at least we have both of them ready now."

"True. Want to put it with the other one and then we'll try again?"

He hardened at her words, not trying to hide his reaction but his face still flushed at his body's eagerness. He trotted away, guiding the now docile bird to the tree where the first chocobo had finished gulping down the pile of greens. Cloud sighed, securing the second bird beside the first and dropping a new pile of greens for the chocobos. He popped the chocobo lure materia from his bracer, the intricacies of the spell dispersing from his mind. Leaving the sphere cradled against a knot on the tree he hurried back to Aeris.

She gazed up at him from the improvised blanket of her jacket, all the buttons of her dress undone and the garment lying open. The black underwear was for him - she was not wearing it because she liked the colour; she intended him to see them. No. That could not be right. Unless Aeris dressed in anticipation of sleeping with him, the choice of black underwear could not be for him. This was the first time Aeris had ever been outside of Midgar and she could not have foreseen the farm. But-

"Cloud?" He blinked and focused on the half-naked girl. "I'm flattered you like me so much you'd quite happily just stare at me like that, but I'd quite like you down here with me. I mean, if you're up for that."

"S-sorry." He flushed, pulling his shirt over his head and kneeling between her legs. Aeris traced a bare toe along his thigh, before curling her leg around him and pulling him closer. He settled between her thighs, weight on his elbows as his face hovered over hers.

"Now, where were we?"

Cloud smiled. "About here?" he said.

"Mmm. Almost. I think your hand was on my breast."

He complied as they kissed again, feeling her tongue slide into his mouth as he tried to mimic the action. Kissing felt easier, more natural, less new. His fingers flexed against her bra, his hand trying to pull it just a bit further away from her skin so he could slip his fingers underneath.

"Wark?"

They both froze. Cloud's eyes flicked open and he pulled a little away from his partner who kept her own eyes closed. "Cloud, you didn't stop the lure did you?"

"I did," he insisted. "I even left the materia behind. Look." He gestured to his arm and she opened her eyes a slit to confirm the empty socket in his bangle.

"Hmm." She leaned her head to the left and began to giggle. "Then we are going to have to face facts: Cloud, I think you actually are a chocobo magnet. And I think we've found your soul-mate."

Cloud turned to look up at the creature looming over them. It looked down at them both with much the same confusion as the other two birds. He sighed. "We definitely don't need three... do we?"

"We might. If Tifa and Barret don't catch at least one each." Her lips curled into a smile as she giggled at the chocobo's darting head.

"True. But we only have two harnesses."

She reached up and ran a hand through his blonde spikes, biting her lip before giggling again. "I'm sorry, but I have this sneaking suspicion she'll follow you back if we lead it."

He sighed as she pushed him back to sit up. "I guess this means... we head back now?"

She was smiling as she began re-buttoning her dress. "It might be for the best. Unless you like getting naked with someone else watching."

He gazed the yellow bird. It stared back ready to make warking commentary on his performance as he thrust into Aeris, each warble making her laugh. And with each laugh his erection would diminish a little more until he wound up disappointing her all over again. Aeris would wind up in outright laughter, not at him, but at the watcher and its confusion over what these two humans were doing. Not a comfortable prospect.

"No, I'm not really one for that," he said.

"Me neither. Let's get the other two back at least. And see if I'm right about the third..."

Cloud ruffled this latest chocobo's feathers as Aeris stood. They wandered back to the two restrained chocobos. "Want me to guide one for you, or do you want to try yourself?"

Aeris stared at the prospective mounts, a finger to her lips before replying. "I'm going to ride it myself. I just need you to give me a leg up to get on."

He nodded, crouching beside the chocobo, cupping his hands to provide her with a step. She swung her leg over the chocobo, exposing her panties with the movement.

"Naughty."

"What?"

She smirked at him. "I saw you looking." Cloud flushed and jerked his head away. "I don't mind you seeing them you know. You've seen me in less."

"I-I know," he said, mumbling his words. She reached down ruffling his hair.

"Come my human chocobo lure. Maybe we'll have another chance at the farm."

He stared at her as she flicked the reins and spurred her mount onwards. The chocobo veered a touch, before she tugged on the reins and got her mount headed in the right direction. He smiled, climbing onto his own chocobo and looked back at the remaining bird who still stared at him. "You coming too then?"

"Wark!"

Cloud spurred his chocobo onward hearing the extra footfalls right behind him.

* * *

Chocobo catching and frustrated almost couplings had filled the day so far. After delivering the chocobos to Bill, Aeris had tugged Cloud out of sight of the main house and behind the big barn. Red was absent; he had volunteered to take a lunch to the seeming less successful Barret and Tifa. Haste was vital this time and she was just settling into Cloud's embrace when the others returning became audible. Thwarted again, they straightened their clothes once more and went to greet their companions.

They could chance the swamp crossing whenever they wanted, but Bill advised against the mines at night. Far better to wait for first light so they could be clear of the caves before they had to make camp again. Cloud suggested they use the rest of the day practicing riding the chocobos at speed. As easy to pick up as riding them was, it was a different experience when they were flat-out sprinting. How much of Cloud's idea came from improving the party's skill and how much from his appreciation of the animals? He was trying so hard to hide it, but more than once he had slipped a few gyshal greens to a pleased chocobo.

Red XIII bowed out before proceedings even began, adamant that he would be best placed to share a mount for the crossing. Both Tifa and Barret were well versed in chocobo riding and took to the faster pace with ease. And Cloud, well he was in his element now. He seemed to be smiling the entire time while giving advice and demonstrating how best to guide the chocobos. The gentler persona seemed to rise to just beneath his surface once more. Of all the chocobos the party had captured, Cloud was riding the one they attracted without the Chocobo Lure. He had named her 'Choco.' Had he named all their mounts?

Cloud was a good teacher and soon the four of them were charging around at full-tilt on the grasslands around the farm. They wound up engaged in an impromptu game of chocobo-tag as the afternoon wore on. Even the skeptical Barret soon found himself drawn into the yells and chases as they dodged and weaved around each other. As evening approached their pace slowed, the humans tiring even if their mounts showed no sign of exhaustion. The group began heading back to the farm, Tifa and Barret certain they had practiced enough for tomorrow. 

Aeris followed the others as she guided her chocobo back towards the stables. Maybe now she could split Cloud off from the others? She had been 'it' at the close of their game and Tifa and Barret were looking pretty tired from the day's exertions. It was doubtful they had the stamina to continue the game now, happy to let Cloud give chase. She let her partner draw level with her before musing aloud that she felt more practice would help and winked at him. He looked confused for a moment before she slapped his arm with a cry of "tag", his eyes widening. Aeris circled her chocobo before using the nearby pen to vault herself onto her mount. Flicking the reins, she directed her chocobo into a sprint away from the farm. That should be enough enticement. Would he pursue? Unlike the others she had never experienced life outside of Midgar before. The sights, the sounds and the smells still so new, so exciting, so different to the cloying stench of mako. She had so many reasons for heading out away from the farm on chocobo-back, though only one mattered at the moment. She slowed down some distance away, trotting along at a comfortable pace as she looked back. There was a movement in the distance.

Another chocobo raced across the grassland straight for her. And the rider was blonde. It would be nice to think that Cloud had entered into much the same thought process as her and why she would separate them from the group again. Even if he had not, it would not take much to persuade him. While sex was plausible, even more comfortable at the farm, the risk of discovery was that much greater. This time there was no materia-based chocobo lure to draw the creatures to them. She was chancing the presence of the human one, but would risk it. She kept her mount trotting forward, letting Cloud catch up to her. Just as he entered ear-shot she sent her chocobo towards a nearby rocky outcrop, forcing him to follow.

With quick flutters of its wings, the chocobo climbed the landscape until it reached a plateua. She slid from its back, securing the reins to a nearby tree. Darting uphill, she spotted a sheltered spot amongst a scattering of boulders. She leant against one of the rocks as Cloud's chocobo crested the cliff. He stared at her with slight confusion for a moment before securing his chocobo and venturing up to her. With a nervous hand he reached out and tapped her arm.

"Tag."

She smiled back at him. "You caught me then?"

"I did."

"And just what are you going to do with me?"

"Um... whatever you want?"

"Oh, good." Her arms were around him, pushing him back and into one of the larger boulders, her lips meeting his. He slid down the rock as she deepened the kiss and straddled him, settling against his body. His arms came up to encircle her, surrounding her once more. This was better than risking discovery at the farm where a literal roll in the hay risked observation by voyeur chocobos. This would do. A stone dug into her knee and she fidgeted on Cloud to avoid it. While circumstances required this, there were good arguments for restricting sex to the bedroom.

Cloud's kissing had improved leaps and bounds already. Still a little awkward, still a little nervous and sloppy, but better. He was more daring too; his hands had already strayed down her back, gliding along the ridge of her spine and beyond. Much better. She pushed herself forward a little more as they kissed, his erection now pressing under her dress. She shuffled backwards; a repeat of their first coupling at Kalm not desirable.

"Aeris?" Cloud looked confused. He was more in control of himself now, not as open and vulnerable as he had been back then. But it was still there in his eyes, and now she was curious. What had made him act this way? In Kalm he seemed like a different Cloud once they were alone and naked, exhibiting none of those curious similarities to Zack. Could she uncover the same Cloud this time?

She smiled at his confusion as she undid his pants, delving beneath into his underwear. Her fingers wrapped around his cock and as expected that shut down further questions as he groaned. It was easy to coax him to raise his hips so she could pull his pants and underwear to his ankles. She wrapped her fingers around him again and started stroking. He moaned as her hand moved, and she leaned into him, pressing her lips against his. His hands shifted, seeking out her waist and then trailing up to cup her breasts. He fiddled with the buttons on her dress and she let him undo some of them, his hands hot against her skin as they slipped inside the dress.

He pulled back from the kiss a moment, face flushed and panting. "Aeris... if you keep... ah... doing that... I'll c-" he choked the word off. She darted her lips to his again before replying. 

"That's the idea. And not to worry, we don't have as much of a time limit today."

"But-"

"Trust me Cloud. I know what I'm doing." She sped up, making his back arch in response as she kissed him again. His skin was smooth and soft beneath her hand. She shifted, sliding off of him as his hands slid from her breasts to clutch at the grass. His eyes were tight shut and his mouth hung open. He was close now, his muscles starting to tense, and he was trying to thrust with her. A little more.

Cloud went still, holding his breath as a shiver went through him and with a gasp he came. She slowed, but did not stop, stroking with slow, deliberate movements making him twitch. His head lolled to one side as she let go and he heaved a contented sigh before reopening his eyes again. That had dented his persona; while not as naked as it had been, sex did indeed seem to uncover the other Cloud.

She withdrew a few tissues from her bolero, cleaning her own hand and offering the rest to Cloud. As he cleaned himself up she popped the bottom few buttons of her dress and straddled him again. His flagging erection pressed against her. It should recover in a while.

"Now, we try for something a little more mutual." She kissed him, pushing herself against him once more. His thighs were hot beneath her own as Cloud's hands sought her breasts again. Despite the warm air, there were too many potential chocobos around to consider removing all her clothes. She popped open another button with her fingers and then whispered to Cloud to help her with her bra. Not so macho this time, he pushed both hands into her dress and around to her back as she arched against him. The garment went slack and then his hands pushed under it, cupping, stroking and kneading.

She ran her own hands under his shirt, stroking across muscle and soft skin. Cloud took an initiative, breaking the kiss to bring his lips to her nipple as she moaned. She wrapped her arms around his head pulling him into her, feeling his now strengthening erection against her.

She shifted around, pulling away from his mouth and his arms to press her back against his chest. His body pressed into hers, his arms now around her waist. One hand moved to cup her breasts, the other began tracing irregular shapes across her panties. She wriggled into him, as Cloud's hand slipped into her underwear and a finger pushed between her lips. it was too low, missing her clit and again exposed his lack of experience. She tugged his hand upwards a little and then let out an appreciative sigh as he rubbed.

He was hard and ready against her back. She pushed one of her boots off and pulled away from him again. She pulled her panties off one leg and retrieved a condom from her jacket. Cloud fumbled with the packet for a moment before letting the empty foil drop to the grass. Aeris shuffled backwards, directing his cock between her lips. She settled against him as he slipped inside her. His hands slid around her again and she started grinding her hips against his. One hand was on her breast, the other now gliding across her clit. She let out a faint moan as he stroked and smiled.

"That's... really good... Cloud."

"Ah... glad you... like... it."

She moved her hips. How often Cloud had been masturbating? At least once per night? It seemed more than possible. The image of Cloud on his back, his hand gripping himself was quite an appealing one and she let out an groan.

"Sounds... like I'm... doing something... right."

"Mmm. You really are."

His stamina had improved and he was now lasting longer. She continued to rock back and forth against her partner. Leaning back against him, she craned her neck back to allow his lips to find her skin as she rolled her hips.

"Still... doing okay?" she said, unable to see if Cloud was straining to hold himself back.

"At the moment..." She smiled, leant forward and started thrusting against him. "N-now I might be getting... a bit close."

"Feels better like this though doesn't it?"

"Yes..."

"You know... This is a first... mmm... for me," Aeris said.

"What is?"

"Having sex... ooh... outdoors. Would never have been- ah! Possible in the city; far too much risk of being seen."

"A... first for me too."

He was panting more now, his fingers losing focus, his orgasm imminent. She placed her hand over his, and guided his fingers in a rapid rhythm as she thrust hard. 

"A-aeris... Gonna... come soon."

"It's okay... Cloud. You can come... Nearly there too."

He did not reply, but his breathing intensified as she pushed back against him. Almost, almost. Cloud groaned, body straining against hers, his hips thrusting upwards with an intense stroke. She pressed on his fingers to rub a little more and that was just enough to make her cry out in pleasure. She arched her back away from his chest for a moment, before she slumped back against him. Both his hands cupped and kneaded her breasts as she squirmed.

"Mmm."

Cloud's lips had found her shoulder, and his hands slipped down to encircle her waist. Time had not permitted a chance to enjoy the after-glow like this last time. Aeris watched the darkening skies, lying limp against her partner. She twisted to catch his lips with her own and then pulled his arms a little tighter around her. They lay together letting the blissful minutes pass in silence. This had been worth all the earlier delays and obstacles.

It could not last though and would be stretching plausibility if they stayed away much longer. The gurgle of Cloud's stomach clinched it and she pulled away from the radiating heat of his body. Hopping for a moment she got her panties back on both legs and pushed her foot into her boot. Her dress was too tight around her, so she let it fall around her waist. As she re-hooked her bra and pulled it into position she saw Cloud watching her. A smile touched her lips and she cocked an eyebrow. "Like what you see?"

He flushed, smiling. "Yes."

"I do like what I can see too..." she said, eyes grazing his crotch, dragging Cloud's down with them. He shuffled himself around, pulling his clothes back up so he could stand. She swiped at the tell-tale creases and patted her hair as Cloud brushed away the stray blades of grass that clung to him.

Cloud straightened his uniform, the shy, gentle man giving way to the SOLDIER once again. His eyes regained that intensity that she had seen when they first met. His Zack-like quirks had been absent in the pleasing post-orgasmic haze they both experienced. Would they would come back along with the hardened SOLDIER that was surfacing again? What had done this to him? What had merged with him or split him into two halves, one eclipsing the other? Had Cloud always been this way or was it a more recent phenomenon? His story of Nibelheim seemed to match to the Cloud she first met, but then where had the other come from? And why did the SOLDIER mind-set come with characteristics of Zack? This was not the time to pry details from him though. 

"Cloud? I know I've been taking the lead so far, but... Is there anything you'd particularly like to do? Any positions or foreplay...?" Given their intimacy, it seemed silly to tip-toe around the subject. She had taken the lead both times they had been together, had been the one to propose the arrangement and did things how she wanted them. But if she had not their encounters would not have been anywhere near as fulfilling for either of them.

Cloud flushed red at the question, his mask slipping once more. His mouth opened and shut for a moment before he frowned. He was giving this a surprising amount of thought.

"C-c-could we t-try..." He trailed off turning a little redder. She stepped closer, laying a hand on his chest.

"Please don't be embarrassed Cloud. There's no reason to be."

He swallowed, nodding. "Doggie?" One blunt word, confusing for a moment. Realisation came a moment later as Cloud began to look worried at her silence. She smiled.

"I'm sure I could be persuaded. Any others?"

Cloud flushed a darker shade. "M-maybe you could s-s-su..." He gulped and tried again. "I-I mean, could you maybe give me a b-bl..." He trailed off, head bowed, the shy, gentle Cloud now exposed beside her once again. Well, it was not hard to guess what he was asking for.

"You'd like me to fellate you?"

He frowned, unfamiliar with the more elegant terminology, but after catching her eye a smile quirked on his lips. "But," she said taking another step closer, noting he had already become aroused again. "When you're washed and clean and not all sweaty from riding Chocobos."

He nodded, not quite able to keep a twinge of disappointment from showing on his face. "An-and, if you'd like..." He trailed off, eyes straying to her crotch. She smiled.

"That sounds fair, and quite tempting." Cloud smiled, ducking his head. "Just one thing Cloud."

"Hmmm?" He looked at her with confusion. 

"You're it." She slapped a hand on his shoulder and sprinted to the waiting chocobos.


	5. Junon

Cloud winced as another twig snapped under his foot. He was too nervous. No one should be close enough to hear - the others would still be setting up the camp site while he and Aeris went out to collect firewood. Correction; while he collected firewood and she looked for herbs to season dinner. Either way, there was no actual need for stealth. Cloud suspected that Aeris's interest in spicing up the meal had something to do with a chance at some privacy for the two of them. The wood screened them from their companions and the deepening gloom would help hide the couple if anyone came looking.

The swamp crossing a few days previous had been easy, but saying goodbye to the chocobos was an unanticipated wrench. It had been painful to shoo Choco away, to see her dither for a moment before turning tail. She raced back across the swamp along with Bo, Ko and Lina vanishing out of sight. Dismissing the chocobos seemed the wiser choice when they found the impaled Zolom at the Mythril mine entrance. There was no doubt in his mind that Sephiroth was the culprit. They encountered the Turks in the depths of the mine, surprised when they made no move to attack. Shinra now seemed more concerned with tracking Sephiroth than bothering with Avalanche. Upon exiting the mines they found themselves in open grassland and began the trek towards the port-city of Junon. Cloud regretted the loss of the chocobos here too; they would have been perfect to cross the wilderness.

The wood had been the first landmark they found as they journeyed, and the lure of a fire lead to setting up camp beside it. Now it was just him and Aeris walking through the gloomy woods. Cloud felt frustrated he once again almost reached for the flower girl's hand as soon as they were out of sight of the camp.

"Should be far enough away here..." Aeris said as she leant back against a tree. One finger toyed with the top button of her dress while her other hand widened the split of her skirt to reveal more thigh. Cloud needed no more prompting as he stabbed the Buster sword into the ground beside them. Aeris smiled as her fingers caught the neckline of his shirt and dragged him towards her. He braced his hands on the tree behind her as she wound her hands and arms around his neck.

They both jumped as a twig snapped accompanied by what sounded like a muffled curse. Cloud pushed away from his partner, spinning around to begin insisting that the situation was not as it appeared. Wait. The sound came from the opposite direction to their camp-site. Something or someone else was in the woods with them. The Turks? They had hinted at another fight and were not above trying for an ambush. He pulled the Buster Sword from the ground and held it ready. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aeris glancing around, holding her hands ready. Her stave was back at camp; there had been no need for it here. He should not have needed his sword here either, but after events in Midgar he became determined to stop letting it out of his grasp.

It had been problematic enough snagging another sword from Don Corneo's mansion. His hands had grabbed for the weapon in amongst the assorted curios and trinkets in the odious man's bedroom. Cloud was grateful the largest sword had been a genuine Wutai blade and not a cheap replica. It felt odd to wield another sword; the Buster Sword had been his weapon of choice for years. He always preferred the first sword he received over anything that required finesse to wield. It might be one of a hundred machine produced replicas that Shinra churned out for the Third Class SOLDIERs, but this one was his. He kept it clean, polished and sharp. The solid mass of his own was all he knew - a weapon only wieldable by SOLDIERs. To drop it was to damage something. To swing with force was close to devastating.

So why had the thin Wutai blade been so much easier to wield? He coped fine with the smaller, lighter, elegant weapon, surprised at his own speed and skill with it. Speed was a side-effect of always fighting with the Buster Sword, his muscles used to compensating for the mass. But how could he be so accomplished with it? He expected a learning curve when using to a weapon so unlike his own. But it had not happened. It was both a relief and so strange to reclaim the Buster Sword twice afterwards. The first as he pulled it from the ground in Sector Six before they made their climb up to the upper plates. The second when fleeing the captivity of the Shinra building. He needed to take his sword and not one of the newer, near indistinguishable other blades, or one of the thinner, lighter swords. He had carried the sword since he first became a SOLDIER and he intended to keep on using it. But why? In the past he griped about the weight, the lack of elegance, how it caught in enclosed spaces. Years before he had been envious of the thin blade Sephiroth used. But not now. Now he despised any similarity to Sephiroth even to the extent of utilizing a similar weapon. 

Cloud shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he strained his ears. He waited for another sound, another hint at the location of their potential adversary. What sounded like muttered frustration could in the end be something else. There were a few creatures known to mimic human speech...

He turned at a noise, watching as something span out of the gloom under the trees. It was an unfamiliar weapon, four sharpened blades in a cross-shape that blurred through the air. He batted it away with his sword, eyes tracing back along it's path. A second, much smaller blade whirled towards him from his right. Their quarry was human and fast. Who was out there? This attack did not seem like the Turks and was by no means a military operation. The Turks who would make no secret they were the ones attacking, while Shinra troops would never attempt stealth like this.

The movement came from his left. Should have seen that one coming. A small figure sprinted and jumped through the undergrowth, movements erratic and fast. With a leap it shot up out of sight into the branches of the tree, skipping across branches before dropping straight down onto him. He blocked the figure's blade; it looked identical to the second one he deflected. He tried to push back, but the figure jumped away, pushing off from his sword and flipping backwards. The attacker bounced into a new series of back-flips as Aeris threw shards of ice towards him. He completed a final flip and then vanished down into the undergrowth. 

There were faint sounds of movement before the figure broke cover attempting to flank them. Aeris was ready to cast when the figure sprang up into the treeline and disappeared from view. The forest stilled.

"Think he's still there?" murmured Cloud.

"Yes, I think she is," his companion replied with a wry smile.

"'She?'" he said. "We're being attacked by a girl?"

"You don't have to act that surprised you know." The voice was young and accented. Was that Wutain? Cloud darted his head towards the tree the shout had come from, noting the location before looking to Aeris. She nodded, watching the area in the gloom. The mystery girl had attacked hard, and attacked fast. Something about the action and the speed put Cloud in mind of the stories he had heard of fighting Wutai ninja during the war.

Something dropped down in front of him, small fingers gripping at the orbs within his bracer. Stupid; she had drawn their attention elsewhere while she snuck up on them. With a flash of green light, Aeris threw an icicle at the sliver of space between the two fighters. The mystery girl bounced backward on her heels for a moment, before rushing Aeris. She flinched as Aeris threw another volley of ice towards her. The stranger flung herself backwards, the icicle gliding just above her stomach as she flipped head over heels. This time Cloud made a darting rush for her left flank, forced to deflect another blade aimed at his head.

He swept the Buster Sword towards her legs with minimal force, attacking with the back of the blade. She flipped away, bouncing onto a nearby tree trunk and up into the branches. He watched, listening to the scrabbling noises above and the tell-tale dust she knocked down. The movements ceased and they peered up into the tree as the figure landed behind Aeris, fingers darting to her bangle. Aeris reacted, grabbing the assailant's wrist and flipping her over her shoulder. Cloud caught a glimpse of startled brown eyes as she sailed through the air and landed with a groan on her back.

Aeris brought her hands up ready for the next attack as Cloud slid into a new combat stance. The figure lay still and groaned again. "I can't believe I lost. And to some lovebirds as well..." Now she had stopped moving quite so fast they could see a cloth mask and goggles obscured her face. The girl pushed both off her head revealing a young girl with jet black hair. Throwing her legs back, she took her body with them until she rested all her weight on her hands. With a quick push she flipped onto her feet, a new blade clutched in her fingers.

"What do you say? One more round?"

Cloud appraised the grinning girl in front of him. She had attacked them but he had no desire to kill or injure her. "Not interested," he replied.

The grin widened. "Thinking of running away, are ya? Scared?"

Aeris's eyes sparkled with amusement as he replied. "Petrified."

The girl's eyes gleamed at the comment. "Thought as much. Couldn't tell where I was in here could you?"

Aeris shook her head, repressing a smile. "Not at all."

The girl punched the air. "Yes! Well, I'll let you guys go recover. If you feel up to it, we can go for another round later." She turned on her heel and made to walk deeper into the wood when she paused. "I'm really going to leave now, okay?"

"Wait." Cloud caught Aeris's eye, convinced she had reached the same conclusion as he. The girl was young, reckless and, if not careful, liable to get herself eaten by something out in the wilderness.

"Still got something for me? I know... you want my help because I'm so good, right?"

He found himself smiling at that. "That's right."

She grinned. "Heh. Thought so. Well, you've put me on the spot here. What, oh what should I do?" She mused, pivotting on her heel and staring towards the treeline. "But if you want me that bad, how could I refuse? I'll go with you." The girl turned back towards them both.

Cloud caught Aeris's smirk. The situation might not be quite as the girl had made out, but at least they could keep an eye on her like this. Maybe they could leave her in Junon, or just give her some gil and tell her to get herself home. Or maybe, just maybe she could help. She had proved challenging before and could move like lightning.

"Well, we should probably get back to the others. Getting dark in here." A flash of disappointment passed across the flower girl's face as he spoke, one he felt too. The stranger protested as they turned to head back to camp.

"Hey! I haven't even told you my name yet!" The two of them shared a smile. Skilled combatant or no, she still acted like a brat. "I'm Yuffie. Yuffie Kisaragi. Good to meet ya. If I heard right, you're Cloud? Who're you then, green eyes?"

"Aeris Gainsborough," she replied.

"Cool, cool. I'm kinda sorry I interrupted your alone time there. Not that I wanted to watch you two getting jiggy with it." A salacious smile appeared on Yuffie's face which twisted into disgust. "And you know, a good sparring session is way better then any of that icky sex stuff."

"We weren't getting 'jiggy with it'," Cloud replied a with a little too much force. If Yuffie noticed she gave no sign, her attention was already elsewhere.

"How'd you do all that back then, Rissy?"

"...'Rissy'?" Aeris said. She opened her mouth to say something, stopped and started again. "That was magic. Are you interested in materia by chance?"

"What? I mean, why would you think that? I- uh, we don't have materia in Wutai. What is it?"

Cloud shared another smile with Aeris unobserved by the nervous girl behind them.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice that during our little skuffle back there, you twice tried to pull them out of our bangles. And to use magic we need materia." Aeris continued.

"Oh, those are materia? We call them something totally different in Wutai. I reckon you'd even have trouble pronouncing it, so we'll just call them materia for convenience. And we don't have any. Kinda why we had the whole war with Shinra thing in the first place, y'know? I just thought they were valuable. Y'know, kind of jewels or precious stone-like?"

"Do precious stones glow in your experience? Usually?" Aeris raised an eyebrow.

"Well, no, but they might have been seriously precious stones." 

"And you were just going to steal them?" Cloud glanced at her.

"Borrow them, I was gonna borrow them!" insisted Yuffie. "Well, I might have temporarily pawned them for money to help with Wutai's new rise to power, but you'd have gotten them back after we re-established ourselves. Anyway. How do they work?"

Not the most convincing of arguments, and Cloud resolved to keep an eye on his belongings from now on.

"Materia hold the condensed wisdom of the Cetra. When we use them we are granted their knowledge and power," Aeris said. Cloud glanced back. Yuffie's eyes were wide and she was staring with unconcealed fixation at the bracer Aeris had shifted her sleeve to reveal.

"That sounds really cool." The teen switched to feigned casualness. "So, uh, do you have any spare I might be able to use? I mean, if you're packing those things, you could spare some for me, right?"

Aeris smiled. "We have plenty of spares, Yuffie. I'm sure we can loan you some."

"Awesome."

* * *

Aeris squirmed in her bed trying to get comfortable. But not so comfortable she would doze off. Just enough to pass the time until she could head out to meet Cloud. The current plan of arranging a time to meet up away from the others might need a rethink. In theory the anticipation should make the sex that much sweeter. To reduce the risk of anyone noticing their absence they arranged to meet in the early hours of the morning. What had sounded fine at the time now felt fraught. Since setting any kind of alarm risked disturbing either Tifa or Yuffie, she had to rely on herself to stay awake.

She keyed a button on the PHS to lighten the screen. Too long left. She squirmed again, considering touching herself to both pass the time and as a preamble to later. It was a tempting proposition but she decided against it. She had resorted to it the last few nights, biting her lip as she came, conscious of her slumbering companions. Tonight she would resist. Not that this prevented her becoming turned on; her body willing her, or an intimate partner to touch it. Anticipation was one thing, but she was going to drive herself crazy like this. She turned her thoughts elsewhere to a now uncomfortable absence.

She could not hear the Planet's voice, the sound muted by the horrible sensation of mako processing close by. She never before realised how wearing it had been back in Midgar; it had been part of the background of day to day life. Never something to dwell on or give much thought to. Kalm had been less troubling, even though the settlement also boasted a mako reactor. It had still been unpleasant to enter the small ring of desolation that segmented Kalm off from the rest of the world. At the time she was not as aware of how much the loss would affect her. She had only experienced hearing the Planet for part of a day, and there had been the welcome distraction of time alone with Cloud. 

After Kalm she welcome the Planet's voice once more and marveled at the sheer variety of life outside Midgar. While her selection of flowers had flourished in the church, out here there were new varieties everywhere. There was grass and trees. And sun. She had seen the sun before, but only slanted between the gaps in the plate or through the permanent haze shrouding the mako city. She could not yet understand the Planet's voice, but it offered a curious comfort. It felt like the return of some vital part of her she never knew was missing and it felt glorious. To feel it fade away, to hear the chorus of voices reduce to near silence as they approached the port had been painful. 

She shook her head clearing her thoughts and flicked the PHS screen on again. It was still a little early but she had waited long enough. She had arranged a third room earlier, keeping the extra key out of everyone's sight. A few quick, murmured words to Cloud after dinner was enough to arrange a time and let a knot of excitement settle into her stomach.

She fed into the excitement now, recalling those previous occasions Cloud had been inside her. Shuffling in silence across her mattress she slid out of the bed, stepping into a crouch. Her room-mates' breathing carried on uninterrupted, but she paused a second to be sure. She still wore her dress, feigning exhaustion as she collapsed onto her bed without bothering to change. Her bare feet moved in near silence across the room, any sound absorbed by the carpet. There was a prickling, scratching sensation on her chest. She fidgeted but overrode the desire to withdraw the singular condom hidden with her bra.

Easing the door open, her ears strained for the slightest noise from her companions. So far, so good. She pushed the lock onto the latch, slipping out into the dim hallway, confident no one would try to enter the room in her absence. Maybe she could let it close and not bother to return tonight. All she would need to do was ensure she was up as early as possible and had been elsewhere not wanting to disturb the others. It would be much easier; there was a whole other room she could share with Cloud. Neither of them would have to risk discovery by sneaking back later. No. As appealing as it was, it would send the wrong message to Cloud.

They had a strict separation of sex from romance and reduced physical contact outside of their couplings. While the idea of dozing off with Cloud's arms around her held a real appeal, it felt too much like a relationship. And she could not have that with Cloud, and to even begin to give him the idea she would be open to it was unfair. He still all often reminded her of Zack to let her escape her past, and there was also Tifa to consider. She seemed poised to offer Cloud an actual relationship, if only she would say something to him. Should she tell Cloud just how much his friend cared for him, even at the cost of ending these liaisons? No, it was not her place to confess in place of her friend. It was possible that Tifa was content with the current situation, but if she made her move, Aeris would back off and let them be happy. Tifa need never know of their arrangement; Cloud had not been cheating on her. Things should remain as they are, even if it meant she would have to sneak back in later both tired and satisfied.

The door shut without a sound and Aeris darted down the corridor to the extra room. She clicked the latch on this too and wandered into a room identical to her own. According to her PHS there was still a little while left. Aeris removed her dress, hanging it in the cupboard and took a seat on the nearest bed. Maybe it would have been a good idea to bring something to read. Her fingers were about to unhook her bra when the door pushed open.

Blonde spikes became visible, Cloud's face lighting up as he saw her. She smiled and crossed to the door, clicking the lock into place behind him as she wound her arms around him. He kissed her, eager and more assured.

"Get away okay?" The touch of his lips and tongue excited her body further, magnified by the motions of Cloud's hands.

"Yeah. Barret and Red were out like lights."

The former was more of a concern. The latter likely had picked up what was going on between them but had the good grace to not even hint at it. Had Cloud's stealth failed in the face of Red's enhanced hearing? Even if it had, it was not worth worrying about for now.

"You're overdressed..." She caught the hem of his shirt and pulled it upwards, Cloud shrugging to help the garment over his head. Her hands dropped to his waist and undid his pants. "Better." Pushing against him she delighted in the warmth of his skin on hers. His hands were on her back, on her waist, on her breasts. There was the crinkle of foil and a scratching twinge at his touch and she pulled away from him. Fishing in her bra she pulled the contraceptive out and tossed it onto the bed.

"You could take that off as well," Cloud said as she returned to him.

"Oh? Is that a request?"

He flushed a little and smiled. "Yes, please."

"Yes please, what?"

"Please take your bra off."

After a moment of pretending to consider his request, she undid the clasp. His chest pressed against hers as her bra fell to the floor, his cock hard and straining against his underwear. If only these opportunities were not so fleeting and less time passed between each one.

Maybe they should not care about the others' reaction, not worry about Tifa's obvious attraction to Cloud. The others could think what they wanted if it meant more of these moments together. No more need for stealth and no more waiting around. Could she cope with it being far too obvious why she and Cloud were off together? Or would she be able to stay silent when visiting each other's tents? Maybe they just needed their own separate tent- And therein lay the flaw. They could share a tent, but that would then mean they would sleep beside each other every night. And that was far closer to a relationship than she wanted to get.

They needed different circumstances, some way to do this more often, to get away from the others without suspicion. She needed to think. But not now. Now she wanted pleasure. Skimming a hand across his stomach she darted beneath his underwear and took hold of his cock. He dropped his head to her shoulder, directing a soft groan into her skin and proceeded to kiss along her shoulder to her neck. That was good. She pulled at his underwear more as Cloud slid his hands into her panties. 

Anticipation had made her wet, his fingers moving between her lips without effort. Now it was her turn to bring her mouth to his shoulder and exhale in pleasure at his actions. She felt more than ready, as did Cloud. Pulling away from him she slid her panties down her legs and walked to the bed as Cloud removed the last of his clothing.

"Care to join me?" she asked over her shoulder, staring at Cloud's nude form. He crossed to her as Aeris knelt on the end of the bed and then dropped forward onto her hands and knees. Cloud looking confused as she looked back at him. "You did ask for this, Cloud..."

He nodded, his flush intensifying; whether from excitement or embarrassment was difficult to tell. He pulled open the foil packet and readied himself as she watched. She turned away as their skin touched. His belly was against her, the heat from his cock against her inner thigh. Cloud pushed in closer, his thighs brushing hers, his cock touching her lips, but too low. It slipped over her clit, granting her a too brief twinge of pleasure before ending up between against her thigh.

"Too low, Cloud." He pulled back and pushed again, this time slipping up. "Much too high." She looked around, finding him flustered. "It's okay Cloud. Take your time. Here." Reaching back between her legs she parted her lips for him. As he pushed against her again, she nudged his cock into the right position, feeling him slide into her. Dropping her hand again for support she pushed her hips back into his, letting him slide deeper inside her. She stifled a moan, instead letting out a ragged breath.

Cloud waited a moment before pulling away and then thrusting, pushing her forward, his hands now resting on her hips. She braced herself as Cloud sought a rhythm, sliding in and out of her with ease. She gasped back another moan as he slipped a hand onto her tummy and then between her legs, his fingers stroking over her clit. He knew what he was doing now.

She arched her back to let him deepen his strokes and his cock brushed a new area within her. So good. The rhythm on her clit was a little awkward, a little off; she pulled his hand up to cup her breast instead. He leant forward more, his chest and stomach now pressing into her back. Aeris slipped her hand between her legs and stroked herself. Cloud made tiny exhalations as he thrust forward, Aeris meeting each of his thrusts with an opposing movement of her hips.

"Glad I... a-asked you if there was... mmm... anything you wanted to try?"

"Very," he gasped.

She pushed up with her shoulders, coaxing him to lean back. He complied, his cock catching new places within her as she moved with him, maintaining contact. His hands still cupped and kneaded her breasts, but now his lips sought and found her shoulder. She twisted in his arms to kiss him. Her fingers were slick as they brushed her clit, her hips moved with Cloud's as he thrust. Trailed kisses down her neck sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. 

Even with the vigorous motion, Cloud did not appear to be having any issues with his stamina; a welcome discovery. She was close now, righter than expected about the effects of her own anticipation. Falling forward again, she caught her weight on her hands as Cloud's found her hips again. While a simultaneous orgasm was possible, she doubted that they were in sync enough for that yet.

"C-cloud? I'm getting... really... close. How are you?"

"I've still got a way to go," he panted. "Sorry."

"That's okay I... ah!"

Her fingers had done the trick and her back arched as pleasure pulsed inside her. She dove her head into the pillow, biting down onto the soft surface, trying to direct the gasp of pleasure into it as much as possible. Cloud stilled as she came, cock still inside her, her hips flush against his. He leant forward and massaged her breasts. She lay in an awkward position, mind blank, riding waves of pleasure as Cloud spoke.

"Aeris?" He sounded worried. "Are you okay?"

"Mmmm," she replied her voice muffled by fabric. "Yes... But what about you?" she shifted her head to the side and looked back at him, watching as his expression shifted from concern to pleased with himself. She would let him feel smug for now. That had been so good.

"I think I need a bit more..." he replied.

Hmmm. Angling for fellatio perhaps? Unfortunately for Cloud, the taste of the latex and the spermicide was not one she appreciated. That particular request would have to wait for another day. Still, she would help him as much as she could. She shuffled forward, letting him slide out of her and twisted onto her back, legs parted and arms reaching for him.

"Come here, Cloud."

He looked concerned, his smugness abating for a moment. "But you, already came..."

She smirked at his words. "I did. Women are capable of multiple orgasms you know. Not certain I can get there tonight, but I'd like to feel you inside me again."

Aeris pulled him forward, his cock slipping between her lips and inside her once more. She tightened herself around him, experimenting. She touched her breast setting off little twinges of pleasure. Maybe another orgasm was not out of the question. Cloud thrust faster as Aeris slipped her fingers down to her clit again and began stroking. Cloud had already delivered one orgasm, and felt like he might be on his way to helping giving her another. With some help from her of course. She moved with him, reaching up to draw his lips down to hers. He broke the kiss with a gasp and murmured, "Gonna come soon."

She responded by rubbing faster, feeling her second orgasm building. Almost, almost. "Come for me Cloud," she gasped and then trembled, muscles straining as she came again. With a final thrust, Cloud quivered and stilled inside her once more. He was breathing hard and let his head drop forward onto her shoulder. After a moment he rolled himself onto his back beside her, sprawling across the bed. There was a tremendous urge to just pull the blanket over the two of them now and doze off like this. She felt comfortable, sated, and did not want to move.

But. It would still send the wrong impression. With a sigh Aeris pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked down at the drooping eyes of her companion. "Come on, Cloud. We need to get back to our rooms."

"Mmm," he replied. "Would it be so bad if we just slept here?"

She almost gave in. Almost. Getting dressed only to return to her cold bed versus just slumbering alongside Cloud in this one was no contest. Having a presence with her in the night would be wonderful, and it could lead to a chance at morning sex. She looked at him, his eyes lidded, his posture relaxed and comfortable with no desire to return to his own bed. No matter, she needed to keep the line firm. "Yes it would," she replied. "If we doze off here, there's a much bigger chance we'll be missed if someone wakes during the night."

Cloud paused and nodded as Aeris began dressing.

"Aeris?" Cloud asked as he pulled his own clothes back on. "Can next time be sooner?"

She smiled. "I'd like that. Unfortunately we are very much victims of circumstance. We'll get together again as soon as possible." She kissed him and with a wave she slipped out of the room and to a contented rest.


	6. Cargo Ship

Red made a graceful leap onto one of the tall stacks of crates forming uneven avenues in the hold. Everyone had made it aboard, the rest of Avalanche recognizing the ship was their best way across the ocean. Cloud crouched in the gloom near the massive cargo-bay door. Crew members swarm on and off the boat as they completed the final preparations. 

His fingers toyed with the packet of tranquilizers; he did not suffer from motion sickness so why did he buy them? It had been an impulse buy as he made his way across the city. The clang of the hold door closing distracted him for a moment and he gulped down one of the lozenges before he realized. The deck began vibrating as the ship's engines rumbled into life; Cloud hummed as he waited. The nuisance tune from earlier would not leave his head.

Those endless drills and practices he once endured had paid off years later when he wound up in Rufus's parade. Slipping in with the other troopers was easy, all the movements coming back without conscious thought. And a special performance for the President; there was a time when doing that would have been such a great honor. Not now though. It had not been all bad; Cloud smiled at the memory of his temporary squad-mates' reactions to his flourish. They were so impressed as he twirled his rifle, and mimicked the move after a few blunders. To Cloud's surprise they soon mastered it and he flushed with pride as their commanding officer adopted it.

It felt contradictory to have enjoyed any part of today. Shinra were the enemy, but that little trio; were they so different from his friends? Sure the troopers were under Shinra control, but they were still people under those uniforms. They were eager to impress, following orders to the letter and never daring to disagree with a superior. Much like he had once been. Were they all like that? Were all the troopers they fought just normal people in uniforms obeying orders? Could he blame them for doing that? Would he have had the nerve to refuse a direct order, even if it was wrong? He wanted to say 'Yes', but right now he could not be certain.

He fidgeted in his borrowed uniform. When had he started wearing it and when did he stop? The answer eluded him, the thoughts jarring. He had never worn a trooper uniform - there had never been a need to. As soon as he joined SOLDIER he received his sword and the third class uniform marking him as one of the elite. Cloud frowned. He had parted from the Buster Sword once again by necessity. There was no easy way for him to carry it while infiltrating Upper Junon. Barret should have it. A strange wave of nausea swept over him. There was a twinge in his stomach and a sensation vied for attention at the back of his mind. The more he concentrated, the vaguer it became. It was familiar, like it had always been there but was somehow more prominent now. The twinge came again and he removed his helmet, breathing hard as he felt his stomach settle.

He crept forward, his thoughts troubling him. A faint groan to his right made him tense up, his hand reaching for a missing sword hilt. Yuffie looked up at him with a bleary expression, leaning against a crate and not looking her best.

"Are you okay?" The ninja did not look at her best.

"This is why I hate boats," Yuffie muttered before clapping a hand over her mouth. "You got anything for motion sickness?"

"Actually, yes," he said, surprised his absent-minded earlier action had a use. Had Yuffie mentioned her problem sometime before and he remembered? He frowned, trying to think back as the she grabbed at the packet and consumed one of the tablets. Yuffie swallowed a few more times before speaking again. "Gross. These things are so bitter." Sucking in a deep breath, she concentrated and breathed out.

"Are the others hiding in here too?"

"How should I know-." Her complexion became greener and she staggered away, her hand clamped over her mouth. She vanished off down the avenue of crates.

"Psst. Cloud." A trooper was beckoning him over, the voice feminine. "It's me, Aeris."

Relief flooded through him as he crossed to the secluded hidey-hole she had found. A haphazard arrangement of crates created an alcove screened on three sides and easy to miss on the fourth. Aeris pulled her helmet off, tangled and matted hair tumbling out.

"Did you see the airship back in Junon?"

Cloud nodded. "I heard it was big, but I never expected something like that."

Aeris smiled. "It was really something." She stared up towards the ceiling. "Do you reckon I might get to fly on it one day? I'd love to experience that, even just once. To be free, miles above the ground..."

"I'll take you someday."

The words were out of his mouth before he realized. He wanted to please her, to do something big and amazing for her. And in doing so he hit that line she had drawn between them. To his relief, Aeris seemed too excited by the idea of flight to care. "You will? We can fly on it together? That's a promise right? Promise me? Please?"

How could he say no when she looked so excited? "I promise."

"Thank you," Aeris said, arms reached out and drawing him into an embrace. Cloud's mind raced as his arms came up to encircle her. He smiled against her shoulder. After living so long beneath the plates, it seemed the sky was fascinating, Aeris eager to reach out and touch it.

Squeezing him a little tighter, one of her hands stroked the back of his neck. "You know Cloud, we have a nice secluded spot here, and you did want to do it again..."

He smirked at her words. "You're really okay doing it here?"

"Well... Just this once anyway." Pushing him back she slipped her uniform pants over her hips and let them fall around her feet. Aeris sat back onto a lone crate, spreading her legs and reaching her arms out to him again. Fingers caught the collar of his uniform and pulled him to her.

"Don't want to take too much off," she breathed as her fingers fumbled with his fly. His pants fell to his ankles and she pulled him closer; her lips were on his neck, her legs curled around his. He ran his hands along her thighs, over her hips and then up under her uniform, tracing over her warm skin. His fingers grazed the underside of her breasts as Aeris pulled his underwear away from his body and slid a hand inside. She cooed in appreciation at what she found there, fingers stroking along his length. A distracting sensation drew his attention. It had been there all along; as he walked through the Junon streets and as Aeris enticed him into this secluded space. Now it was impossible to ignore; like a whispering on the edge of his hearing, nothing he could describe or put into words.

When had it begun? When had he first heard that whispering and why it was sometimes stronger? It was so close to coherent, the meaning remaining only just beyond his grasp. An itching need to move welled up inside him; he had to go. He resisted, and every one of his muscles relaxed. Tension drained from his limbs and his legs felt like jelly. A wave of nausea washed over him as his cock became flaccid.

"Cloud?" A worried voice broke into his thoughts. He was staring at the crates that formed one wall of their little hide-away. No, not at them; through them. He was staring towards the bow and away from the girl whose hand still gripped his cock. She let go of him and sat back, staring at him. He tugged his head away from the pull to meet her gaze and regretted it. He caught the disappointment on her face for a moment and looked away again. He looked down, finding her bare legs in his vision and forced his eyes to look still lower towards the deck.

"Cloud? Is something wrong?" She sounded worried now, concern lacing her every word.

"I... I don't know," he said, voice jittery. Fingers caught his chin and raised his head. Aeris's eyes reflected confusion, concern and a tiny amount of hurt. She studied him, her gaze locked with his.

"It's okay," she said after a moment, pulling him closer, but shifting her arms up and around his neck. He pressed into her, willing his erection to restore itself, but his body refused to react.

"Sorry," he mumbled into her shoulder, frustrated by the wasted opportunity.

"It's okay," she repeated in a firm voice, pulling away and smiling at him. "Guess all the sneaking around and tension got to you."

"Y-yeah." Was that true? He needed time to think.

"I suppose we better let the others know you're okay. We can't stay here forever." She pushed him back and dropped down from the crate, bending to pull her pants up. Cloud re-arranged his own uniform as Aeris told him to go on ahead; it would look suspicious if they both went up together. Fighting off another impulse to look bow-wards, he slipped out from behind the crates looking for the others.

He shot a last look back towards Aeris as he walked, and heard a low voice from above him. "Cloud."

"Red?" He peered up at the nearest stack of crates. Red XIII peered over the edge. "You still okay?"

"I am. If you are looking for the others, they are up on deck."

"Thanks. Are you going to be okay hiding up there?"

"It is not the most comfortable spot, but it will do." Red's nostrils flared and there was a curious glint in his eye. Cloud frowned, but Red's expression shifted again. "I will be here if you have need of me," he said before he ducked back out of sight again.

Chill sea wind buffeted Cloud as he stepped onto the deck. Ahead of him someone leant almost bent double over the guard rail; that had to be Yuffie. A trooper stood beside her, one hand placed on the other's back; Tifa? With a quick appraisal of the crew's movements on deck, he hurried towards them.

The trooper turned at his approach, her eyes widening. Red eyes. Tifa's eyes. Was she surprised to see him? No, she was looking past him and now nervous.

"Yes sir! Everything's quiet, sir!" Tifa snapped a salute, her eyes tracking a movement behind him. Her posture relaxed and she smiled. "Yuffie said she saw you in the hold, but..." Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her uniform. "It's great to be getting away from Midgar, Junon and Shinra, but I wish we didn't have to go like this. I hate this uniform. I hate soldiers and war too. They take away all the things and people you love. I wish they'd just disappear." Yuffie contributed some sarcastic sounding comment but the wind snatched her words away. "Sorry, I kind of wound up ranting at you."

Cloud's fingers itched to comfort the martial artist somehow. It never felt comfortable reaching out to touch another uninvited; not even when it was his oldest friend. They had known each other so long, but to be this close to her still felt new to him. As childhood friends they had spent time together, been in each other's company so often. But why then did she feel so much like a stranger at times? And why had he not taken the time to speak to her when he returned home five years ago?

He needed to respond in some way. Any way. "It's okay, Tifa." She looked at him with curious eyes. What had he been worrying about? Tifa was his friend; she knew him and he her. They were both orphans of Nibelheim; they needed no other reason to stick together. "I don't like war either. I know that sounds really strange after I went and joined SOLDIER, but things change. People change. What Sephiroth did... I... I need to stop him doing anything like that ever again. I don't want to fight him, but I might have to."

"Cloud... Yes, sir!" The martial artist snapped back into an alert stance once more. "I'll continue my watch," she said nodding towards the still slumped Yuffie. "Thank you, Cloud."

"Have you seen Barret?" 

Tifa shook her head. "Maybe he's in the hold?"

"Could be, but I didn't see him before. I'll check again." 

Aeris was still down in the hold, along with Red XIII. Tifa and Yuffie were here. Where was Barret? Scanning the deck again, he was unable to catch sight of the Avalanche leader. Maybe he was in the hold despite what Red had told him. Cloud walked as fast as he dared back down to the hold. His eyes flicked towards the bow. Was whatever had drawn his attention before still functioning? He relaxed as he descended the stairs. The strange phenomenon had bewitched him before seemed to be absent now. There was nothing to worry about.

"Cloud?" Aeris was talking to him and she sounded worried. He was standing beside her hiding spot, his gaze drawn towards the front of the boat once more. He could not remember walking here, could not remember greeting Aeris. Words caught in his throat before he could begin to voice them. The muscles of his neck kept him facing the bow no matter how hard he strained. Aeris continued to talk, her voice laced with concern.

"Did you see Tifa?" He nodded with an awkward movement, glad he could control this motion at least. "Red?" Another nod. "Yuffie?" Nod. "How about Barret? I hope he's not doing anything stupid."

Something shifted inside him and the tug was gone, his muscles relaxing. He turned to look at his companion, her eyes widening as they met his. Cloud swallowed a few times and tried to speak again. "I didn't see him." His voice was croaky but he could talk. He coughed before continuing. "He is here isn't he? Red told me everyone made it, but I didn't see him up on deck."

"He's here somewhere, Cloud." Aeris insisted.

"I hope so. He has my sword."

Aeris looked into his eyes again. "Cloud? Let's go find him." He stepped back, giving her room to move past him, even as he felt a tug on his attention again. Shaking his head did little to disrupt the seductive pull. It increased for a moment and then faded, but did not quite vanish. He concentrated on looking anywhere but the bow as he lead Aeris back through the hold and up the stairs. They were half-way up when the alarm began blaring. "Has Barret...?" she began. He hauled himself up the stairs and onto the deck. They needed to find where everyone was right now.

Barret was with Tifa and Yuffie as a crackling announcement reported a sighting of someone suspicious. Troopers rushed across the deck, ignoring the disguised Avalanche. If they were not the cause of the alarm, then who was? Had they found Red? A passing trooper shouted at the group to assist with the search. Trying to keep their cover, the group of stowaways hurried after the other troops as they descended into the hold.

* * *

Aeris concentrated. Magical fire rushed from her hands and enveloped the still twitching section of Jenova. They volunteered Cloud to report a fictional report of a stowaway now neutralized. The remaining members of Avalanche concentrated on destroying the last traces of the creature. As the remains collapsed into ash, the group slipped back out into the darkened hold to hide. Aeris gravitated towards her hiding place, wondering if Cloud would think to seek her out. There was still the matter of his strange behavior before they found the figure with silver hair in the engine room. Before they found the only other living Cetra. Before they found Sephiroth. The implications of a genetic connection had been abhorrent before. But to see the man who destroyed Nibelheim and what he could become? Now she could not bear to accept they were anything alike.

Aeris shook her head, distracting herself from the memory of Spehiroth. Had something happened to Cloud in those hours since they parted in lower Junon? Had he seen or experienced something in the upper city that had so wrecked his concentration? She sifted through her memories of Junon. It was possible to extrapolate some of Cloud's trip across port city. He had found the trooper barracks, or at least procured a trooper uniform from somewhere. The barracks felt a much more likely option given, like her, he had been able to observe the floating airship. The craft had not been visible from the main street; the tall buildings screened it from view.

While the former SOLDIER was a little shorter, once he was wearing a uniform no one would not give him a second glance. Or so she inferred based on the ease with which she, Tifa and Yuffie navigated the city and boarded the boat. That he was here at all and not incarcerated back in Junon was proof enough he had crossed the metropolis without issue. His behavior just seemed so odd. He had asked for another coupling, but when she offered him the opportunity he became distracted.

Was that more or less troubling than losing his erection? Tough question. It was not as simple a situation as if he had ceased to find her attractive. His arousal had been far too pronounced, too rapid to suggest he had changed his mind about her. Nor did it seem possible that Tifa had plucked up the nerve to admit her feelings. It seemed even less plausible Cloud could reciprocate those feelings and stay quiet. The Cloud she knew would have blurted out his situation as soon as an opportunity presented itself. Apologies would follow given he could no longer sleep with her. 

Her easy acceptance of the changed situation would surprise him if he did tell her. In her mind's eye she could see him startled, embarrassed but excited about what his new relationship might entail. No, the loss of his arousal occurred when something drew his attention. There had been nothing audible above the engines and wall of crates prevented anything catching his eye. But the former SOLDIER had just stared to his right, not even hearing her voice as she tried and failed to get his attention.

And then, just like that, the distraction was gone. Cloud's arousal vanished as he tore his attention from whatever had drawn it. He had looked lost; so nervous, so wary and so unsure of himself. That it happened again while he was looking for Barret was an extra worry. She needed to keep an eye on him. Had she in fact found yet another new Cloud? This one masked by both the stoic SOLDIER and the expressive, gentle, skillful man she delighted in sleeping with? 

Was it something she had done and this situation had been developing for a while, only now manifesting? Was it possible that in uncovering the other Cloud she had by extension managed to trigger yet another mindset? Visions of Cloud as an infinite recurring series of personality shells came unbidden. She would break through them seeking the real Cloud. Even if she found only another shell within the last, she would keep going. How far down was the real Cloud? Was he so far from the light of day to be almost unrecognizable? Perhaps there was no real Cloud. Maybe there was nothing in the centre of the puzzle that was the former SOLDIER but a void. The man she knew nothing more than a composite formation of those shells. No true self to draw out from under his protections and alternate personas. Nothing but darkness. No. She would not believe that was true.

Something had affected him in that moment of distraction, something he did not understand and could not begin to voice. He acted almost as if he had no memory of the moment and she had been unable to resist embracing him afterwards. He was her friend; comforting the lost mercenary did not mean she felt anything romantic for him. Would there be a need to reiterate how things stood between them? To reinforce the notion that there was a level of emotional intimacy she would not let him exceed? Perhaps. At least he had not clung to her or even protested when she asked him to go on ahead. If anything he was treating his sudden impotence as less of an issue then she was.

Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of the end of them? Had their arrangement reached it's natural end? She hoped not; they had not managed to get away quite as often as she would have liked. But it was not as if she was unaware this day would arrive. Their agreement was transitory; they were using each other for a missing part in their own lives. 

At some point her feelings for Zack would diminish and she would move on to find someone new. It could have been Cloud had they met at a different juncture in their lives, if more time had passed, if he did not remind her quite so much of Zack. Cloud was going to notice just how Tifa felt about him, or Tifa would overcome her nerves and tell Cloud. And that would be that. Maybe sooner would be better; now before she became too used to him and his body, now before she became too reluctant to give it all up. Maybe even after Tifa's confession, he would not return her feelings. Maybe he might elect to stay with the flower girl. She quashed the thought, reminding herself of the decision to not get involved with him like that. 

She still wanted to fly on the airship with him regardless. The ground rushing past beneath them as she leant on the rail and looked down to the world below. And in her day-dream he was always there beside her; unbidden but never unwelcome. He had made good on his promise, and she delighted in his company. 

A passing trooper caught sight of her, staring at her as she froze. Before she could react, the figure squeezed through the gap and into her hiding place. Was it Cloud come to keep her company and maybe try again? The trooper raised its helmet, causing waves of thick black hair to cascade out.

"Tifa!" Aeris exclaimed over the roar and pulse of the engines.

"Hi." The martial artist greeted her with a smile. "How are you holding up?"

"Me? I'm okay. Are... are you? I mean after seeing him again."

Her friend's eyes darkened at the inference.

"I'm... I-It wasn't as bad as I thought," she said with a weak smile. "I'd just glad he didn't seem to take any notice of me. You seem okay at least."

Aeris frowned. "I am, though I'm still more concerned about you."

"But Sephiroth's... an Ancient, a Cetra, isn't he?" She nodded as Tifa continued. "I was worried you might think we'd get twitchy around you after what happened to him. After what he turned into..."

Aeris smiled. "I trust you all too much to be worried about that. And even if I am related to him, I'm not sure either of us can really be considered a typical example of the Cetra. I certainly don't think I'm capable of transforming like he did. And I have no intention of doing so either." Tifa fidgeted and Aeris changed the subject. "Have you seen Cloud?"

The martial artist shook her head. "I don't think he's come back down yet. I reckon Rufus or Heidegger have assigned him to do something menial. We'd have heard by now if they'd captured him." 

An image formed in Aeris's mind of Cloud mopping the deck. She smirked. "I hope he doesn't wind up working the whole time until we get to Costa del Sol."

"You've never been there have you?"

Aeris shook her head, glad to move away from troubling thoughts. "No. Have you?" 

"No..." Tifa began and paused. "Well," she continued, "I think I must have, once, years ago, but I really don't remember. Whoever took me from Nibelheim would have had to pass through the port to get me to Midgar, so..."

Aeris interrupted, diverting from the distant yet still uncomfortable reminder of Sephiroth. "Any idea if it's really like it is on TV?"

Tifa blinked for a moment before her lips quirked into a smile. "All golden sand, blue skies, blue ocean and stress-free? I certainly hope so."

The flower girl sighed. "It'd be nice if we could stay there for a while and just relax a little. The first time I ever saw the sea was two days ago; I had no idea there was that much water in the world. I mean, I knew what the sea was and what it was like, but the difference between reading about it and actually seeing it... And if the Costa del Sol sea really is like it is on TV, it looks a much nicer place to swim then Junon. Not that I can swim though."

Tifa looked at her in surprise. "You can't swim?"

Aeris shook her head. "I never had anyone to teach me, let alone somewhere to practice. Was there a pool in Sector Seven?" Aeris cringed but the implications seemed to pass Tifa by.

"No, no pool. I learnt when I was younger. There were a lot of lakes around Nibelheim."

"Maybe you could teach me then?"

Tifa laughed. "Me? You'd want me to teach you?"

"What's wrong with that? You know how, and I don't have the first idea where to even start." Aeris put her hands on her hips.

Tifa regarded her for a second before smiling, "Alright."

"You'll teach me?" Tifa nodded and Aeris threw her arms around her friend. "Thank you."

"But we'll have to get some swimsuits first. Before that though we need to somehow convince Cloud not to rush us straight through the town and back out into the wilderness."

Aeris looked at Tifa with a smirk. "Tifa... I think you might have already hit on the way to keep Cloud from leaving immediately."

"Hmmm?" Tifa looked confused for a moment before she rolled her eyes. "Oh. Aeris!"

Aeris giggled. "Why not? I'm not sure Cloud would really argue with any request that came from two girls in bikinis. Two very attractive girls in bikinis I might add." She struck a seductive pose.

Tifa chuckled. "You might have a point. Though, you should be warned that there'll almost certainly be other guys on the beach. And guys have this tendency to stare at girls in swimsuits."

"Tifa Lockhart, you and I both know I recently strolled through the most infamous sector in the whole of Midgar wearing some decidedly revealing dresses and was leered at pretty much the entire time. It wasn't pleasant, it wasn't nice, but I did it." Aeris paused a moment before smirking and adding, "As did Cloud."

Tifa smirked too. "I still can't believe you convinced him that was a good idea."

"It worked though didn't it?"

"It did. Honestly, I really didn't realize it was him until you talked to him."

"Thank the girls at the Honeybee Inn for that. Their make-up skills are nothing short of magic. Anyway!" Aeris said with emphasis, returning to the matter at hand. "After surviving that, a few guys perving at us on the beach feels the least of our worries. Plus I have every faith that your fists will be able to take care of any problems."

The martial artist held up her clenched hand. "As long as you'll back me up with your staff."

"Of course!"

Tifa mused for a moment. "So, how's this for a plan? We get off the boat, buy swimsuits, get changed, ask Cloud very, very nicely if we can have a break from our mission, and then head to the beach?"

"I like it. I just have one amendment," Aeris said. "I reckon we might be able to get the same effect out of Cloud just by suggesting if he lets us stay for a while we'll be on the beach in bikinis."

"You reckon?"

Aeris nodded. "Both options are still good though. I just prefer the one that gets us to the beach faster. So if Cloud's all grumpy after whatever they're making him do up there and his imagination isn't active enough, we buy the swimsuits and try asking him again."

"Deal."

They shook hands and smiled before lapsing into silence again. Aeris spoke first. "Any idea where we'll go after Costa del Sol?"

Tifa's eyes flicked to the deck for a moment before replying. "I know North Corel isn't far from there. That's where Barret and Marlene are from. I get the feeling Barret will want to avoid it if possible. He doesn't even like talking about his past. Ah, there's the Gold Saucer as well."

"Oh." Aeris smiled at the name. It had been on TV more than once, the commercial jingle infuriating and catchy. She never expected to be able to visit it, though now it sounded like there was a possibility; the lure of the place was hard to resist. "We have to convince Cloud to let us go there as well."

"We could hope that Sephiroth has a fondness for the place," said Tifa blinking, her forehead creasing into a frown.

A new image of Sephiroth formed in Aeris's head and she started giggling. Tifa grinned and met her eyes, seeking confirmation. "You too?"

"Y-yes," the flower girl replied as laughter threatened to overwhelm her. "Sephiroth on a... on a roller-coaster!"

Tifa's face twitched and she was laughing too. Aeris shushed at her friend despite the sustained roar of the engines. Trying to be silent only made it worse, and they both directed their laughter into sleeves and hands, unable to calm down. All tension evaporated with the onset of their mirth. None of her worries about Cloud or their secretive arrangement was affecting her friendship with Tifa. And why should it?

"Aeris?" The martial artist looked a little embarrassed. "Thank-you for being my friend."

Aeris smiled at her. "As if I wouldn't be." Her companion could not stop her lips quirking into a smile. "And thank-you for being mine."

"You know, you're also my only female friend."

"Tifa?"

Tifa smiled with a touch of sadness. "Jessie was my friend too, but she-"

Aeris disrupted the topic. "So everyone else you know is a guy?"

Tifa blinked and nodded. "Almost all of the bar patrons were men, and way too many of them were only there because of some real sketchy rumours about the Seventh Heaven. At first anyway. Barret managed to put a stop to that after a few weeks which helped a lot. And what with him and Avalanche, I didn't get much time to myself or a chance to just meet people until we ran into each other. So thank you for being friends with me."

"Don't mention it," Aeris smiled at her companion and laid her hand on the martial artist's arm. "You're one of my only friends full stop, Tifa." An announcement disrupted the conversation; the ship had begun docking. Aeris glanced to the door and back to the other girl. "Still okay with the plan?"

"Am I ever. Sun, sea and sand here we come!" Tifa said. Aeris smiled, and in her head, added 'sex' to the list.


	7. Costa del Sol

A wave of heat enveloped Cloud as he stepped out of the cargo ship's shadow. Prickles of sweat swept across his body as confusion set in; he did not remember the resort town being quite this hot. He must have come at a different time of year before, maybe when it was cooler. No matter; right now he was just looking forward to being rid of the thick trooper uniform.

Red panted beside him as Barret stepped out into the sunlight with a sigh. "Damn, it's hot." He picked at his sailor uniform. "And guess I gotta get rid of this now."

"Aww. I like your sailor suit," Aeris said. "He looks so cute in it," she stage whispered to a grinning Tifa.

"What do you mean 'cute'?" growled Barret.

Tifa tried to wave away her friend's anger as the group began walking. "If you don't want to get rid of it why don't you just use it as night-wear?"

Cloud looked around to study his companion. He caught Aeris's smirk and felt his own lips twitch in response. "I reckon it'd work. Though you do currently kind of look like a bear wearing a marshmallow."

Barret glared at him. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Could we please hurry and get out of the sun?" interrupted Red with audible effort. "This heat is drying out my nose."

"Mine too!" The group stared at the ninja in their midst. "Oh, whatever! It's just too damn hot..." Something ahead of them seemed to catch Yuffie's eye. "Hey, can we, like, take a break here for a bit?" She looked at Cloud.

The swordsman felt the burden of leadership falling onto his shoulders; get moving, or take some time to enjoy the resort town? Right now there was no contest. "I suppose we could all do with some time to relax; we'll take a break here for a while."

Yuffie whooped, took a few steps forward and paused a moment to spin on her heel. "Don't bother looking for me," she said. "I'll find you guys later." She completed her pirouette and dashed away.

"I gotta get out of these clothes," said Barret as he stomped across the dock. "Especially if I wanna use them as pajamas."

With a heavy breath, Red started plodding after him. "And I'm getting out of the sun before I expire," he muttered.

Aeris stared with interest towards the beach. "I wonder if I should try getting a tan while we're here. How about it Cloud; which do you like better? Tanned or fair-skin?"

His brain stalled for a moment as he considered the question, the questioner and the audience. "A healthy tan is nice," he said, visions of Mary's dusky skin swimming up from mental depths. The realization jolted him; he could remember her tanned skin, but still could not recall what she looked like? Would he recognize her if he saw her again? Was there a chance of running into her? 

Aeris's eyes widened a fraction and she smiled. "I'll have to remember that," she said.

"Well, I'm definitely going swimming," Tifa interjected.

"Still willing to teach me?" Aeris asked and her friend nodded. Unbidden the image of Aeris in a bikini formed in Cloud's mind. "Hmmm? And just what are you thinking about, Cloud? You know, your cool exterior is beginning to show a few cracks..." She winked and took Tifa's hand. "See you later Cloud. Now let's go!"

The two girls raced across the dock and Cloud trailed after them, wanting to be out of the sun but unwilling to hurry in the heat. He gazed around as he walked towards the town, digging into his memories. Try as he might, he was unable to recall anything specific from his previous visit here. Why could he recall so little of his time here, and yet knew with absolute certainty this was the place he first had sex? A movement further up the street caught his eye; the bikini-clad Aeris and Tifa walking to the beach. They commandeered one of the big umbrellas for their belongings and hopped across the sand to the sea. Joining them was a tempting proposition, but he needed to get out of this uniform first.

 

"Yeah, Dad'll definitely wear this when he sees you next- Hey! Room's occupied, you hear me?" 

Cloud pushed the door open, pausing at the sight of Barret admiring himself in the mirror. "Ah, sorry 'bout that Cloud. I was just..."

Cloud shook his head, dumping his bag and sword onto the nearest bed. "Don't mind me, I'm heading right back out again." Stripping off the trooper uniform he pulled on his own, the familiar feel of the fabric comforting.

Barret had a glint in his eye. "Heading down to the beach are ya? Some interestin' sights down there for a guy like you I imagine."

"I don't know what you mean," Cloud said in a terse voice.

"Yeah, I bet you don't," the Avalanche leader smirked. "I'll be out in a bit," he called as Cloud walked away.

The heat was a little more bearable as Cloud walked with as much nonchalance as possible. The unpleasant memory of his distraction on the boat surfaced but now seemed unimportant somehow. He quashed the faint worry it might happen again. The strange whispering had stopped and he felt so much lighter. Tonight would be good time to make it up to Aeris if an opportunity arose; they just needed to improvise on the location.

Aeris was not in the water or lounging on the sand when he found her. Instead both she and Tifa hugged towels around themselves and stared at something further along the beach.

"Are you okay?"

Aeris turned at his question looking haunted and worried. What had happened? Some jerk guy on the beach? Cloud looked past her, catching sight of a familiar figure with oversized glasses and a pony-tail. Hojo. Shinra's chief scientist sat huddled in the shade, reading from a stack of papers.

"Hojo," he breathed, amazed that the man could be here. A strange chill swept through him, sucking the intense heat of the sun away. He needed to talk to Hojo. The impulse was confusing, becoming evasive as he questioned it. What could the man tell him or even be willing to admit? Cloud blinked. He was standing beside the scientist. Hojo looked up at him with cold interest.

"Ah, I remember you." He grinned, his expression the antithesis of humor. "It's been a long time, Cloud."

His throat was dry. "Not long enough. What are you doing here?"

"I would have thought it obvious. I am here on holiday."

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Somehow, I don't quite believe that."

Hojo chuckled, the noise setting the swordsman's teeth on edge. "How astute. You are correct though; I am here for much the same reason as you."

"Sephiroth..." Cloud breathed.

"Have you seen him yet?" the professor asked in an eager voice. Why should he answer this man he disliked so much? Despite himself, Cloud nodded. "He was on the ship wasn't he?" Another nod. "Excellent, excellent!" Hojo paused for a second, tilting his head to either side, considering the man in front of him. "And you... Have you felt like something was calling to you? Have you felt the need to go... somewhere?"

Cloud felt dizzy at the question. The man's words were confusing, alien but somehow logical. Wanderlust surfaced and he felt trapped; he had to get moving. Some other part of him fought against the urge, remembering his friends wanted a chance to relax. But they needed to get back to the pursuit, needed to track down his former friend. "I'll... I'll go wherever Sephiroth is. I need to stop him."

"Interesting." Hojo's cold stare held him. "So, former SOLDIER, how would you feel about becoming my guinea pig?"

Cloud's hand moved on reflex, darting back over his shoulder. To his surprise his hand closed on air, the expected sword hilt absent once again; the Buster Sword was back in the hotel. He brought his arm back down to his side, fighting an impulse to race back and retrieve his weapon. Hojo watched with amusement, now shifting his gaze to Cloud's right.

"I see you brought my half-Ancient with you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Aeris stiffen. "My name is Aeris," she said, an air of forced politeness entering her quiet voice. "You could at least do me the decency of remembering my name."

"I have little time for specimen names." Hojo replied with a wave of his hand and looked thoughtful. "Except for one or two... exceptional cases. Tell me, how is Ifalna these days?"

"How can you ask that?" Aeris said, a flash of anger lacing her words.

"It was merely an attempt to ascertain the well-being of my prized specimen."

"You don't know?" she gasped. Confusion now settled onto Hojo's face. "She's dead."

Aeris's answer startled the scientist, his defenses down for a moment as he regained composure. Cloud stared at him, fascinated; it did not seem possible the man could look so vulnerable. "A pity." Hojo glanced down towards the sand, jaw clenched.

"Professor; Jenova... is she an Ancient? Is Sephiroth? Am I... am I the same as them?" Aeris asked, her voice trembling.

Hojo glanced up at her, lips pressed into a thin line. Gathering his belongings together in silence he walked away from them. "Professor!" Aeris called out. "Answer me. Please."

Cloud was about demand a reply when Hojo paused. Turning back towards them he muttered, "Your answers are West of here," and strode from the beach. Almost forgotten beside him, Tifa let out a sigh of relief, the atmosphere brightening. Aeris still stared after the departed scientist.

"Aeris? Are you okay?" Tifa asked, reaching out to the other girl's back.

The flower girl jumped at the contact and looked around. "F-fine. I'm fine. Actually, I feel a little iffy." She sighed. "I think I'm going to go have a lie-down for a while."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tifa frowned.

Aeris shook her head. "No, I'll be okay. You enjoy the beach." She glanced at Cloud. "Both of you. Hopefully I'll be back out soon. And don't forget you still need to teach me to swim."

"I know," Tifa smiled. "You take care though."

"I will." Aeris gave them each a weak smile and walked away, head bowed in thought.

"I hope she's okay." Tifa glanced at the water and then to her companion. "Care to join me for a swim, Cloud?" Wine-coloured eyes held his gaze as she let the towel slip from her shoulders.

"Ah, not right now thanks. Besides I don't have any swimming shorts," he replied.

The martial artist smirked. "You know, there's this great shop just over there that sells swim-wear," she said, pointing.

Cloud glanced towards the indicated store and nodded. "Maybe later then. I just want to take things easy for now."

Tifa seemed about to say something more, but bit back the words. "Well, I'm still going to make use of this holiday while I can!" She strode into the water and dove beneath it. Surfacing a few metres away she began swimming freestyle parallel to the shore. Aeris was nowhere in sight. He wanted to talk to her and at least try and comfort her. But would it be better to follow her or give her space? The encounter with Hojo seemed to have fazed her; he at least wanted to make sure she was okay. 

Tifa was gliding through the water, all her attention now focused on her exercise. She might not notice if he went to check up on Aeris. If he did not go he was going to wind up fretting about how she was coping on her own. If anyone asked he would admit that he had seen her. It was nothing more than one friend checking on another as he went to get swim-wear.

 

Cloud knocked on the door. "It's open," Aeris called. He found her lying flopped on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she said. "And I don't really understand why, it's just... There's so many things I don't know. And it's making me feel uneasy." 

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, crossing to the bed and leaning on the end

"Maybe..." She sat up on the bed, her gaze catching his for a second before staring down onto the bed. "Cloud; what do you think of me?"

"I... I don't know. I don't understand... anything," he blurted, trying to reconcile his memories of Aerith with those of Sephiroth, Jenova and Hojo's cryptic words on the beach. Aeris nodded, eyes still looking down as a sad smile appeared on her face.

"'I don't understand'" she echoed. "It wasn't a fair question was it? I mean, I don't understand myself, so how could you give me an answer?" She paused. "I don't know which part of me is an Ancient and I don't know what an Ancient is supposed to be like. It's so strange, isn't it? To have this heritage, to not be like everyone else. I just don't understand why it's so important." She lapsed into silence again and Cloud wracked his brain for more to say. The silence stretched on and she sighed. "I think my head is just going around in circles." Glancing up at hime she said, "Thanks for coming to check on me though."

"I-it's nothing."

"Did Tifa send you?" she asked, watching him.

"No. She probably thinks I'm buying a swimsuit." 

The flower girl smiled. "Thank you anyway. I think I am going to have that nap though. You should go enjoy the beach while we're here."

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" He half-hoped she would want some company and a reason to fulfill his role as bodyguard.

"I'll be fine. Go on! Go enjoy the sun." She made little shooing motions with her hands and Cloud backed away from the bed as Aeris trailed after him. "Thanks for coming to check on me though, Cloud."

"Don't mention it. Hope you feel better." 

"Thank you. I'll see you later." She pushed the door to with a small smile and clicked the lock into place. "'I don't know'," he echoed under his breath. What an absurd thing to say to her. There had to have been a better answer; if only he had had more time to think. Deep in thought Cloud wandered back towards the beach.

* * *

Aeris blinked awake in the darkened room. The air had cooled and the last vestiges of the sunset were visible through the open window. Her body had been more tired than she had realized. Unsurprising now she thought about it; she had been unable to get the extra rest she craved after her liason with Cloud back in Junon. The orchestra playing that irritating march for Rufus Shinra's arrival had not helped either.

The cargo ship had been anything but restful; first the risk of their discovery on board and then the encounter with Jenova. At least here they could relax, though that had been all too temporary upon meeting Hojo. He was like the remnant of a recurring nightmare, the encounter unnerving her. Of course he would not answer her question and she placed little faith in his cryptic hint.

The air felt cool enough for her to switch the bikini for her dress and she began reassembling her braid with practiced fingers. Food and company was the first order of business now; whether Cloud on his own or with the rest of their friends. Drifting sounds of conversation became audible as she walked from the room.

Turning a corner she almost collided with Cloud. "Aeris!" he exclaimed. "I was just coming to see if you wanted anything to eat. Are you feeling better now?"

"Much better thank you. I had a much needed sleep. And dinner sounds like a pretty good idea." She smiled at him.

He returned the smile. "The innkeeper should be able to fix something up for you if you ask. The food here's pretty good."

"Glad I didn't miss out. What have you all been up to?"

Cloud mused for a moment before answering. "Well, we spent most of the day on the beach. After it got dark we moved back here and started playing some board-games the owner has. You can probably join in on the next round if you'd like."

She tilted her head to one side. "Why aren't you playing?"

"Ah, four players only at the moment. Also, Yuffie was bugging me the entire time to switch with her. I think it's because she likes playing with all the money."

Aeris smiled at the idea of the young ninja lording fake currency over the other players. "Maybe we should let them finish their game in peace. I'm tempted to have a quick walk before dinner. Would you care to join me?"

"Sure," he replied with obvious, forced casualness. He was trying to be cool. She let it pass without comment. Cloud seemed more at ease and no longer filled with the curious nervous energy and need for constant movement. He had come to check on her after running into Hojo. And now she thought about it, he had not exhibited any Zack-like mannerisms since Junon. Before there had always been something in Cloud's movements that reminded her of Zack. Now she was noticing the absence of the cues instead of responding to their appearance. Aeris was not about to complain; she was far more interested in the hidden Cloud she encountered when they were alone together.

Outside the sky was filling with stars, the town lit by the soft green glow of mako lamps. A few scattered groups lounged on balconies or outside houses with the doors propped open. The nearby bar bustled with life and milling customers. No one was on the beach at this hour and Aeris resolved to make better use of it tomorrow. A day without encounters with a certain scientist would be preferable. Slipping her boots and socks off, she let her feet sink into the cooling sand. They strolled along the beach, the waves lapping at the sand to their left. Artificial mako light gave way to moonlight as they walked, the glowing buildings of Costa del Sol behind them.

Cloud recounted more details of the day she missed. Tifa out-swam everyone else and Barret was still reluctant to give up his sailor outfit. Aeris laughed at Yuffie's inexplicable penchant for work at the materia stall. Cloud was certain she was up to something but was unsure how best to warn the owner. She scolded him, reminding him that Yuffie was their friend and they should have more faith in her. He winced at her words and murmured a grudging agreement before falling silent. She spoke after a beat to agree that maybe it would be an idea to keep an eye on whatever she was doing. The whispering of the Planet crept into her mind as they crossed the invisible threshold encircling the town. She smiled; there were tiny whispers of life even here among the sand dunes.

Aeris flopped back a low dune, settling against the sand. Ahead was the sea, darkening sky, brightening stars and a confused Cloud. She patted the sand beside her. "Come and join me, Cloud." He dithered for a moment and sat beside her, clasping his hands together, trying not to make contact with her. They sat in silence, comfortable and at ease in the other's company. "It's beautiful here," Aeris said. He nodded, still gazing out to sea. "Has it changed much since you were here with Mary?"

The question took him by surprise. For a moment he looked startled and unsure, his head tilting to one side. "A fair bit," he ventured after a pause. "I think most of the shops must have changed as I don't remember them at all."

The subject of Mary gave her a new idea; she was still hungry, but the need to eat was not overwhelming. A new and different hunger filled her. They were well away from the others again. There was a snag though; she had only been intending to get dinner and had left all her condoms behind. Frustrating, but did she need them? She took her Pill exactly as prescribed no matter the circumstances; risk of pregnancy was minimal. Cloud's sexual history was more than a little murky, but she could risk it. Unprotected sex would be a new and tempting experience. How different - and messy - could it be?

"Did you and Mary ever walk out here when you were with her?" Aeris asked trying to keep her tone innocent.

"Y-, N-, um, not that I remember," Cloud answered. "We weren't exactly an item as such..."

"More a one night stand?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

She leant her head on his shoulder. "And she had you in the hotel?" He nodded. "Well, can I have you out here then?"

His back stiffened at her words, and she could see another part of him had a similar reaction. "You can," he replied as she lifted her head to meet his. It was just a touch of their lips at first, but it deepened as Aeris placed her hand on Cloud's chest. The former SOLDIER pushed his tongue into her mouth without prompting. She entwined her arms around his neck. 

"I forgot to bring condoms..." Aeris murmured as his lips shifted to her neck.

"Not a problem," Cloud responded, fingers delving into his pocket. "I brought some just in case."

She smirked at him, impressed. "Hoping for this were we?"

"Just being prepared," he insisted. "Well, maybe I was hoping a little."

"Well, I'm glad you did," the flower girl replied sealing her lips over his. She settled against him with a pleased sigh, pushing her hands up under his shirt and stroking across his chest. Cloud pressed his fingers along her spine, his touch delighting her. She smiled pressing her lips into his neck as he undid the buttons of her dress. 

Was he going to be okay? The thought came out of nowhere, a distracting, nuisance worry. Would she experience a repeat of their time on the ship? Would Cloud again become distracted, his arousal nullified and his attention elsewhere? What would she do if-. "Oh," she gasped. The fear evaporated as he stroked along her thighs, pushing her dress open further. His hands skimmed across her skin to her breasts, cupping and kneading them before one hand slid around to undo her bra. 

Aeris pulled his shirt over his head. Pressing her bare skin against his elicited an appreciative noise in his throat. Hot hands moved up her back once again making her groan. Cloud ducked his head and pressed his lips onto her areola, his tongue flicking across her nipple. That felt so good. All the unused buildup on the boat came flooding back upping the intensity of this moment. She was getting wet and ready so much faster than expected. 

"I want you now," she breathed, her arms around his neck again. He felt as excited and ready as she did. 

"I want you too."

Right answer. She shuffled back, undoing his pants. Cloud raised his hips, letting her tug the garment and his underwear down to his ankles. His fingers hooked into her panties and pulled them off her hips. Aeris got to her feet, letting her underwear slip down her legs. 

Cloud looked up as she shrugged her dress and bra from her shoulders, standing naked before him. She was beyond caring where any of her clothes wound up, kicking away the underwear that tangled around her feet. Cloud rolled a condom over his rigid cock and reached out a hand to her. Taking it, she let him pull her down until she was sat astride his thighs. His hands were on her hips as she lifted herself up, her fingers darting between her legs to guide him. She moaned as he entered her, confident there could be no one to hear her. Not caring now if there was. 

Her hands were on his chest as she began rocking against him. Cloud wormed one hand between their bodies to rub his thumb over her clit as his other hand stroked across her back. He had learned so much, gained so much confidence; sex with Cloud got better each time they were together. They kissed, lips sliding to necks and shoulders between gasping breaths. 

She was close now; the added bonus of Cloud stimulating her with his hand was more intense than she had expected. Her back arched as she came, gasping in the night air. The peak of her orgasm passed and she began rocking her hips on top of his again, coaxing him towards his own climax. Her partner's breathing sped up and with a final thrust upwards he stilled inside her. A suppressed groan escaped his lips as he flopped back against the sand, his hands reaching to cup and knead her breasts. Leaning forward, she tried to maintain as much contact with his blazing skin as possible. 

They lay together contented, too comfortable to bother with nuisance activities like getting dressed. As tempting as it was, they could not stay here all night; she was hungry and they both needed to be back before anyone missed them. With a sigh she stood, seeking out her scattered clothing. 

"Aeris? I... I think I have a better answer for you now."

"Answer?" Aeris paused as she re-buttoned her dress. Cloud had pulled his pants back up but still sat topless. "An answer to what?"

He looked into her eyes. "The question you asked me back in the inn; what I think of you."

Aeris blinked, not quite sure what to say or think. She had forgotten all about her worries, her questions and her fears resulting from the unwanted meeting with Hojo. Cloud seemed to have considered the question ever since they parted this afternoon.

"You didn't need to you know," she said.

"I thought I had to," he replied with a sheepish tone.

"Well, now you have a better answer, can I hear it?"

"Okay." Cloud sucked in a deep breath. "When you asked earlier, I felt bad I gave such an unhelpful answer. I know you're worried about being an Ancient- I mean, a Cetra, and what that means in connection to Sephiroth and Jenova; especially after what happened on the ship. But when I was thinking about it, I realised I don't think of you like that. I've never thought of you as a Cetra. No matter what President Shinra was telling us about why they were so interested in you, no matter what Hojo thinks, to me you're still just Aeris. You're just you; you're a flower girl from Sector Five. I don't know if you can make flowers grow in Midgar because you're an Ancient or just because you're so good at gardening. It just doesn't matter to me. I feel bad I couldn't say this before; you're nothing like Sephiroth and you're nothing like Jenova. You're human just like me."

She looked at him in amazement, his answer washing away fears she had not realized still lingered inside her. It had not been an easy question to answer by any means but Cloud had managed it. And who better to know if she did have any similarity to the man they were chasing than one of the men who knew him before madness claimed him? Just how long had he spent thinking about that answer as he sat with the others on the beach? Would he spend that long thinking about it unless he...?

She looked deep into his eyes, seeing him calm and at ease. He did not seem to consider his response romantic or affectionate. He just wanted to give her a better answer. There did not seen to be a need to reinforce the emotional boundary between them; Cloud was unaware he had collided with it. She knew he found her attractive, and he had exhibited some signs of having a crush on her, but this was now a ways beyond that.

Aeris studied her partner as a whole. His spiky blonde hair, the blue eyes with the band of green around the pupils, soft lips that felt so good against her own or on her skin. He looked nervous at her increased scrutiny, eyes now full of worry. Now she needed to answer him. She smiled and dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you," she breathed into his ear. Her eyes closed as she felt Cloud's arms embrace her. "It is a much better answer," she said after stealing a few more moments in Cloud's embrace and pecking him on the cheek.

As they strolled back through the growing darkness, a warm glow spread inside Aeris. Cloud Strife held no fear that she might mimic Sephiroth. Cloud Strife thought her completely human.


	8. Gold Saucer

Aeris leant against the buggy, wondering if Tifa would be willing to teach her to drive. It was another skill Aeris never had the opportunity to learn while she lived in Midgar and Tifa was an excellent teacher. In Costa del Sol she had been patient as she coaxed and guided Aeris until she could swim unaided. The second day of their break had been a blur of fun; for a brief while they had been able to relax. A shame the same could not be said about their visit here.

Coming back when all this was behind them sounded appealing; she and Cloud could get a room together at the hotel. There was so much to do and see here- Wait. That sounded more like they were here as a couple - maybe they should get two rooms. But then that seemed wasteful and to miss the advantages of it just being her and Cloud on a future visit. Returning here with Cloud and having the freedom of a hotel room would make everything so much easier.

Approaching footsteps distracted Aeris from her musings and she smiled at Cloud as he stepped into the garage. He was almost glowing with excitement; as she had concluded at the farm, he loved anything to do Chocobos.

"Hello, beautiful," he said, with what he thought was an assured smile. "You did say you were waiting for me here..."

"Your flirting is terrible!" she gasped, giggles threatening to overwhelm her before she paused and noticed the look in his eye. "And that's not what I meant when I said I was waiting for you!" Even as Cloud's face fell, the idea took root in her head. A pretty good idea; as long as they were quick. She glanced at her watch. "Actually, we do have a few minutes before the others get here." Glancing up at Cloud she raised an eyebrow as he stared at her awe-struck. "Come on!" she said. "If you want to do it, we need to do it now!"

She plucked at the buttons of her dress and closed her eyes as she leant back against the buggy, one hand pushing into her panties. The thrill of the impulsive decision helped as her other hand clutched at her breast. Memories of Cloud came to mind, her parnter naked and hard, ready for her. She relived the sensations as his cock pushed inside her, the feel of his skin against hers, his lips on her breasts. Her fingers slid between her lips and stroked over her clit. Her clothes felt constricting, stifling and she longed to be rid of them. Next time she assured herself. Next time. She opened her eyes. Cloud still watched her, standing transfixed. "I'm ready for you Cloud," she purred as she pulled her panties to one side. Cloud fumbled with his pants and rolled a condom over his hardened cock.

Aeris hooked one leg over his hips as he slid inside her. "Gotta... mmm... make this quick," she panted as she began rubbing her clit again, her eyes meeting Cloud's. He nodded and began thrusting his hips faster. She let the buggy take their weight, the squeaks almost inaudible as it rocked on its suspension. How much time did they have, or rather might have? The intrusion of reality was not hampering her arousal as much as she expected; if anything it was helping. The risk they would not be quite finished in time was thrilling. Still, the others would be here soon and she needed to come first. She rubbed herself faster; Cloud caught the increased pace and sped up his thrusts. Getting close. Closer. There. Pressing her mouth into Cloud's shoulder, she muffled her gasp as pleasure swept through her. She tensed around him, pulling him closer and deeper, pleasure blanking out her thoughts. Head buzzing and breathing hard she relaxed, tension draining as she let herself flop back against the buggy. They could not have much longer now.

"How close are you Cloud?" she asked, looking up at her partner.

"Not that close," he admitted.

"Not fair on you if you don't get to come," Aeris murmured. She fidgeted and pushed Cloud back a little, much to his dismay. Dismay shifted to curiosity as her fingers closed around his still covered cock, stroking him. Aeris slid around behind Cloud, pressing against him as she continued rubbing him. 

Cloud's breathing sped up as she stroked and he leant forward, bracing himself against the buggy. He moaned as her hand moved. Aeris tilted her lips up to his ear, flicking her tongue along his earlobe and began whispering. 

"I want this again as soon as possible. I love having you inside me, touching me, filling me. I want you to take me from behind again, and I want to take you in my mouth..."

Cloud stiffened at her words, muscles tensing and cock twitching in her hand. His hips jerked forward and he slumped, hands catching hers. Letting out a heavy, ragged breath he said, "Thank you."

"And thank you," Aeris replied smiling. An excited Wutaian accent was getting closer down the corridor. "Quick, they're here!" she hissed, re-fastening the loose buttons on her dress. Cloud did not even have time to remove the condom; he just pulled his pants back into place as Aeris moved to greet their friends. "Hey everyone. What do you think of Cloud's victory prize?"


	9. Gongaga

Reaching civilization should have given Aeris fewer things to worry about. Outdoor sex had its appeal but nothing could match the tactile comfort of soft bedding and the nude skin of Cloud Strife. Plus they now suffered from what she had begun to refer to as the 'Chance of Yuffie'. Aeris defined the phenomenon as the inopportune moment the ninja chose to appear just as she got Cloud alone. Both had become skilled at slipping away when Yuffie was otherwise distracted. 

But here in Gongaga, a place she had never heard of before today, a new worry had emerged; something out of her past come back to haunt her. The connection to her was intangible, coincidental and unprovable. But try as she might she could not dismiss it. Zack had come back into her life in a way she had never anticipated. A man recognized the mako ring around Cloud's pupils, asking about his involvement with Shinra. Yes, Cloud answered, he had been in SOLDIER. The answer pleased the man and he called to his wife relating he had found a SOLDIER. She looked so pleased and asked if he knew anything about their son. Zack Fair.

The ground felt like it threatened to slide sideways as she heard the name. Coincidence. It had to be a coincidence, there must be hundreds if not thousands of Zacks on the Planet. But how many of those had been in SOLDIER? And how many had the last name 'Fair'? Too few for comfort. Likely no more than one. The Cloud's brow furrowed and he shook his head. No, he did not remember anyone with the name Zack in SOLDIER. She almost spoke out. There had been a Zack in the organization. It was a name she had been reluctant to say while sitting in a dilapidated play-park on the out-skirts of Sector Six. A name she echoed on reflex.

The man's eyes brightened and he asked if she knew their son. He had written a letter, six or seven years ago saying he had a girlfriend. Had that been her? She stuttered a denial, unsure what to say before darting away from them, her chest heaving, her head buzzing with worry. Six years ago she had been with Zack Fair. Six years ago she had been in love with Zack Fair. Six years ago she kissed Zack Fair, made love to Zack Fair. Her incongruous partner; connected back to the same shady company that had once imprisoned her. And five years ago Zack Fair had left her for someone else. Zack Fair found a new girl on that mission or soon afterwards, abandoning his slum lover to the depths of Midgar. He chose marriage with an upper-class, high society lady. He chose to not return to her, not to send even an apology, but just stop all contact for good. 

Now it no longer felt quite so believable. How could Zack have moved on, found someone else and never returned to or contacted his parents? Zack had only ever mentioned his parents to her in passing, but nothing gave an impression of estrangement. And now she was less certain he had left her, that he had abandoned her. Had he instead not been able to return?

What had happened to him then? Death? Panic clutched at her heart as she tried to remember. Had she felt his soul return to the Planet? No; while she had felt more than one soul become one with the Planet, she had never felt his. Did her more intimate connection to Zack not count for some reason? Or did it mean Zack was still alive? There was another possibility; she had only been able to hear the voice of the Planet at Mom's house or in the church. Zack could have returned to the Planet while she had been elsewhere in Midgar. He could have died and she would have never known.

Her wandering steps had drawn her to the town's graveyard. She looked in amongst the head-stones, searching for a name that could not be there. If his parents had no idea what had befallen Zack then a grave was implausible. But she could not tear herself away from the monuments, the dim voice of the Planet reaching her even through the scarred ground. She tensed for a moment as she felt someone approaching, relaxing as she recognized the heavy tread of Cloud.

"Aeris..." he began, his voice laced with concern. There was a pause and then his hand settled onto her shoulder.

The contact felt good, but she could not face him. Not yet. "What a shock," she said after a moment's silence. "I didn't know Zack was from this town."

"You know the Zack they were talking about?" he asked, bewildered and confused.

"Yes. I told you just before Walk Market." With a deep breath she turned and met his mako-tinged gaze. "Zack was my first love. He's my ex. Zack Fair; SOLDIER First Class. Just like you, Cloud."

He frowned at her words. "There aren't many that make First Class. It's strange I never heard of him."

What could she say to that? How could someone like Zack have never met Cloud or else never made an impression on him? They had both been in SOLDIER at the same time and should have run into each other in the slim ranks of First Class. Not an easy problem to resolve, not without another SOLDIER to ask. She let the curiosity slide for now.

"It's been five years since I saw him last. He just went out on a mission one day and never came back." She smirked at the memory. "He was such a lady's man; he probably found someone else and settled down with them." Her assumption felt more hollow now, more like a lie to tell herself and Cloud. A movement caught her eye; in the distance Zack's parents were walking away, downcast. "I feel so sorry for his parents though; they just want to know he's okay. Or at least get some clo-closure."

"Why didn't you tell them any of this?" Cloud's voice was tight.

"Nothing I can say would help them. I was indeed Zack's girlfriend, but I can't tell them where he is or how he's doing. All I could have done is tell them I last saw him five years ago." There was a sour look on Cloud's face and he looked away from her. "Are you... jealous Cloud?" She took a step closer, staring at him, even as he tried to keep his gaze well away from hers. "It's okay Cloud, I'm just kidding around. I'm sorry."

Cloud was jealous; jealous of her former boyfriend. Jealous of the one he used to remind her of. She needed time to think. Her head whirled with a new found worry about what had happened to Zack. A worry she did not want right now. Oh, to be rid of worries, anxieties and thoughts, even for just a little while. That at least was something Cloud was well-equipped to help with. She whispered into his ear about a later meeting, relieved to see his expression relax. 

Aeris allowed herself a small smile as they walked to check on Tifa. She stood alone, staring into the distance not acknowledging their presence. She had split from the group at some unknown moment after Aeris had fled. Why had her friend run from the same encounter as her? Aeris was about to speak up when Cloud beat her to it.

"Do you know Zack?" he asked. Tifa's back stiffened and she whipped around, gaze flitting between her two friends. 

"N-no! I-I don't know him," she stuttered, glancing down to the ground. The worry in the martial artist's voice concerned Aeris; did Tifa somehow also know the SOLDIER?

"You have met him haven't you?" Cloud said, his voice suspicious.

"I told you, I don't know him!" Tifa replied with force.

"A-alright," Cloud said, hands raised to placate. Aeris wondered at the vehemence of the reaction. There was more to this than just pushing too hard for an answer; the subject of Zack was one Tifa was not willing to dwell on. Something about him troubled the martial artist.

Tifa heaved a sigh. "He sounds a lot like you though, doesn't he? Deciding to just up and leave town saying 'I'm going to join SOLDIER.'" She paused, on the verge of saying something more. Aeris's thoughts ran on, as she remembered just how similar Cloud and Zack were in those little specific ways. It seemed others had noticed too.

"There were a lot of guys like that back then," said Cloud, blurting the words out.

Tifa's expression softened, something seeming to shift inside her. Aeris felt relieved they had gotten away from the topic of Zack. It was almost tempting to try talking to Tifa. Perhaps not. Prying into whatever was upsetting her friend did not feel like a good idea after her reaction to Cloud.

"And you made it in, even with all the competition," Tifa continued, looking up at Cloud and grinning.

"I just got lucky," the swordsman replied.

The martial artist shook her head. "Don't be so humble." Aeris's mind still whirled with the revelations, unable or maybe unwilling to drag her thoughts away from Zack. Tifa broke the silence. "Cloud? Thanks for talking to me."

The three of them set out to rejoin the others at the inn, Avalanche overwhelming its facilities. The building was small and renting an extra room was not an option with the limited space. Aeris conceded the loss of a bed for sex, and instead began thinking of another private place she could meet Cloud. There was an abandoned structure away from the other buildings, nearer the jungle. It looked to be distant enough for her to not worry about anyone over-hearing them. Her moans had a pleasing effect on Cloud, the sound of her pleasure exciting him and speeding his thrusts. And it was thrilling to let her body just react to his touch, to not keep the risk of discovery in the back of her mind. Dependable privacy felt a refreshing change from the exhilarating, though nerve-wracking, chance of discovery.

Aeris slipped away from the inn first that evening, spreading a pilfered blanket across the floor of the abandoned hut. The floor was thick with dust around her and the whole place smelt musty. Chewing on a thumb-nail, she recalled Zack's parent's words again and again. How he had described her as his girlfriend in that letter. Was it her, or one of his other lovers? What other lovers? A chasm yawned wide in the pit of her stomach as she found herself questioning that certainty too. What if there never had been anyone else?

The sound of the door opening distracted her, Cloud checking outside before entering. She smiled, holding her arms out to him, wanting him to touch her, distract her, make her forget her worries. But when his lips met hers she thought of Zack. She broke kisses, directing her partner's lips to her neck and exposed shoulders. This foreplay reminded her much more of Cloud. 

She pulled him on top of her, letting him slide between her legs, his weight on her hips as his fingers plucked at the buttons of her dress. Wriggling against him, she let out a moan as his lips touched the skin of her breast. The pleasure was fleeting. Zack used to kiss her breasts and slide his fingers across her skin. But rather than arousing her, the memories reminded how long it had been since she had seen him, since he had touched her. How long since he left Gongaga, since he had sent that letter to his parents, how they had hit on that she had known him, how she denied it. How she used to feel about Zack. How she still did.

The slim padding of the blanket did little to soften the hard floor beneath Aeris's back. She stared up at the ceiling above her; through holes in the thatch she could see out to the night sky. Cloud's body brushed against hers, bringing her back to the present. Shoving away her train of thought, she concentrated on the man lying between her legs. His still covered erection was hard against her thigh, his hands braced either side of her, his lips on her neck. She should be enjoying every second of the attention he visited upon her. Her hands should be delving beneath his shirt or pushing between their bodies to grasp his hardened cock. But not this time. Even as she tried to concentrate on Cloud's actions, the frabic of his shirt touched her skin. He wore a SOLDIER uniform. As had Zack; the man she had not been thinking of until this afternoon. 

"Aeris?" A voice broke into her reminiscences. She blinked and turned her head, looking up at Cloud. Her partner rested his weight on his elbows above her. She had not touched him once, just lay there as he tried to seduce her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his face consumed with concern.

"I'm fine Cloud," she said, smiling but not feeling it. "Just a little distracted. Please. Keep going." She wrapped her arms around his waist, slipping her hands up and under his shirt. His skin felt good beneath her fingers, Cloud reacting to her touch with a stiffening of his back as she raised her head to meet his lips. Too late she remembered why she stopped him kissing her just moments before. Frustrated, she sought his neck and ear, provoking an appreciative groan. His fingers were on her bra, pulling it down to expose more of her breast to the air. Aeris closed her eyes as his lips closed around her nipple.

His mouth was warm and his tongue flicked across her nipple. It felt uncomfortable and detached. It was just contact, just a touch between bodies without a hint of eroticism; not exciting or arousing. Her mind whirled again with thoughts of Zack as she willed herself to become aroused. She wanted the moment of blankness when she climaxed, just a fleeting moment to forget everything.

"Aeris?" It took her a moment to realize Cloud was staring at her again. "Do you want me to stop?"

"N-no. I'm sorry. I haven't done anything for you." Her fingers pulled open his pants, running her fingers along his cock as Cloud moaned encouragement. She stroked him, the action reminding her of doing similar with Zack. She closed her eyes, Cloud's lips pressed against her chest, his cock in her hand, hot, hard and ready. Maybe he could help her? "Cloud? Could you help me a little?" she asked, pushing his hand down between her legs. She stroked him with renewed effort as Cloud's finger stroked across her panties. He dipped below the waist-band, pushing down between her lips.

It was unpleasant. The motion was jerky, rough and uncomfortable. "Aeris?" Cloud spoke again. "Really, do you want me to stop? You're not wet at all."

His cock was already softening in her hand as he spoke, her lack of arousal turning him off. "I'm sure I can fix that," she replied, pushing her own fingers between her lips. He had been right; she was dry, and no matter what she did she was not getting turned on, her body refusing to prepare itself for sex.

Letting out a sigh she looked up at Cloud. "I don't think I'm in the right mood for this today."

Cloud tensed and looked alarmed. "D-did I do something wrong?" he blurted, voice trembling. She shook her head.

"No, no it's me. Everything you were doing was just fine. I just need... I just need some time to think." Aeris pushed Cloud back, pulling her underwear back into place and rebuttoning her dress. He looked crestfallen and she shuffled over to him, placing a hand under his chin, tilting his head up to meet her eyes. "I mean it, you didn't do anything wrong Cloud. It's just not a great day for me today."

"You mean-" he cut himself off, looking worried and angry. He was talking about Zack.

"Yes, what we found out today really took me by surprise. I thought I was okay with it, but turns out I'm not. I think I just need some time to get it out of my system, then we can get back to normal." Cloud still looked concerned. He needed encouragement, he needed something. "How about you?" she asked, fingers tracing over his still uncovered cock. It hardened again even with just these light touches. "If you're still horny, I don't mind helping you out."

"No," he replied, pulling away from her. "Not fair on you if I'm the only one getting pleasured."

Now it was her turn to be nervous, wondering how Cloud's thoughts ran with regards to her former relationship. "I really don't mind," she insisted, fingers reaching for him again. He shook his head, hands catching hers before they could touch him. As much as she wanted to stay and assure him further, she was not going to be able to do anything for him tonight. "If you're sure Cloud?" He nodded, and she rose. "I'm sorry Cloud. I'll make it up to you. Soon. I promise." She slipped out of the door and into the darkening night, still unable to shake the memories of Zack and the words of his parents.

* * *

Conflicting emotions swirled inside Cloud. He was still horny despite declining Aeris's offer moments before. When she stopped him it had felt so final, so much like an ending. No; he had to remain hopeful. Positive. Nightmare visions of similar awkward and abortive attempts to seduce Aeris crowded his head. She would tell him it was not working, that she no longer felt it could ever work.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, worry still churning through him. He needed to get used to this. It was not as if he had not feared this day was going to come, always tried to prepare himself for the eventuality. He had hoped that one day she would remove the need for secrecy and let them be together for longer. Little more than a fleeting fancy on his part; she did not want a relationship. She told him that right at the start and spending more time with her would be as close to actual dating as made no odds. He fidgeted, aware that his erection had not quite diminished.

He was all alone here, and needed to let Aeris have enough time to get back to the inn. Did a few more minutes delay before he headed back affect anything? Sleep would prove difficult with his current mindset; masturbating would help him nod off. And doing it here would remove the need to be furtive. But he was also eager to get back to his more comfortable bed. A new stray thought entered his head. It was just possible that Aeris might want to talk to him again and in noting his absence at the inn, come back to check on him. Maybe if she found him pleasuring himself, she in turn might become aroused and then they could have sex.

Some cynical part of his head remained doubtful that his fantasy was plausible, but he ignored it. At least made for a useful fantasy to play out in his head. He kicked his boots off before shrugging his pants and underwear over his hips. Lying back he wrapped his fingers around his cock, feeling it warm, hard and ready. Stroking up and down a few times awoke little pulses of pleasure. His wrist brushed against his shirt on each stroke. Staining it would be embarassing; he pulled it as far up his chest as possible. Closing his eyes, he imagined Aeris walking back into the hut.

"Cloud, I'm-, oh!" There was a moment of shock on her face, before she smiled at the sight; him half-naked on the floor and stroking his cock. Without another word, she undid the buttons at the top of her dress and drew it over her head just as she had in Kalm. Cloud stroked himself a bit faster at the sight of Aeris in her underwear. She crouched beside him, leaning down as she trailed her fingers up his thigh and took his cock in her hand. Looking deep into his eyes she stroked him and licked her lips. With a wink Aeris ducked her head and took him in her mouth. Soft lips enveloped him, her tongue against his skin, heat and wet all around his cock. He slowed his strokes, only rubbing just enough to keep himself hard as his thoughts were side-lined. How would Aeris's mouth feel on him? All he had was imagination and vague memories of enjoying this once before. Her mouth closed around him, her head bobbing up and down, her lips gripping him, more of a visual stimulus than tactile.

He wanted to pleasure her too, not wanting to come quite yet. Aeris let him slide from her mouth with a final lick of her tongue as she undid her bra. Her breasts were almost tangible, reminding him of the sensation when he touched them for the first time. There was more to come though and he slowed his stroke again as he felt leaking pre-cum under his fingertips.

Despite his best efforts his shirt had slid back down. He pushed it up again with one hand, while trying to keep stimulating himself. The worry about staining his clothes was distracting. He pulled his shirt over his head, wadding it into a ball and placing it with his pants and underwear. Now naked, he took hold of his flagging cock again and rubbed to regain his erection. Imaginary Aeris knelt beside him on the floor, watching him masturbate while he gazed at her breasts.

She leant over him, bringing her breasts close to his mouth. He flicked his tongue over her nipples, eliciting an appreciative moan from his partner. Aeris always liked it when he did that. The thought was a little too close to reality, the hollow sensation opening in the pit of his stomach again. He pushed the thoughts away as Aeris slid her panties off with slow, seductive movements.

The flower girl straddled him, sitting across his thighs just below his cock. Her hand toyed with him before she leant forward, letting his erection settle between her breasts. It was a clear image in his head, though Aeris had never used her body like this for him. He was not sure if the notion came from Mary during their time in Costa del Sol, or one of his other partners whose name escaped him.

Still, the image was pleasing, and he imagined the feel of her soft skin enveloping him. Aeris pressed her breasts together around him and let him thrust. Cloud was anxious to move on and slid out of her cleavage after a few thrusts. Aeris continued up his body, her chest now against his, her legs straddling his thighs, her eyes staring into his own. He glanced down, his cock against her thigh and so close to her lips. He wanted to forgo the condom this time, to just slide inside her, to feel everything. Aeris complied; heat and wetness enveloped his cock. His fantasy crooned with pleasure as she let her hips settle against his.

Cloud's breathing sped up, and he stroked faster. He could feel his climax beginning to build now, the pleasure at stroking his cock now augmented with the growing orgasm. Aeris was gasping and moaning as she rocked herself on top of him, his hands shifting from thighs to hips to breasts. She panted with increasing speed as he got closer and closer. The muscles in his arm burned and he had to slow down, gripping his cock tighter. He was close. His skin was slick with pre-cum as he began rubbing again; he and Aeris rolled over so he was on top, thrusting fast. The muscles in his arm began to ache again as he stroked himself. Aeris's naked body strained against his own, gasping and moaning with pleasure.

He hit his tipping point. Sucking in a breath, he clenched his muscles even as he felt the pressure build within him. There was a rushing pulse as his muscles relaxed and he came. Hot cum spurted across his stomach and over his hand as he struggled to keep from letting out a moan of contentment. Stilling his hand, he let out a hissing breath as he slumped back onto the blanket, eyelids fluttering as the orgasm began to fade. 

Opening his eyes, everything came flooding back. He was lying naked in an empty hut in a town destroyed by Shinra's neglect, masturbating over a fantasy sequence. The girl in question was trying to cope with an unexpected reminder of her past. While she needed some time to sort her head out, he had been thinking only of baser matters, her naked body and the pleasure it could give him. He felt foolish, selfish and wrong.

Cloud squirmed, uncomfortable and ill at ease. His cum had grown cold against his skin, forming a sticky pool on his stomach and running in sluggish trickles as he tried to sit up. Semen covered the fingers of his right hand and he picked at his pants with his left, hoping he had something to wipe the cum off. This whole act had been so spur of the moment, he had not bothered to think of the aftermath and cleaning up. There was nothing in his pockets, and so, feeling gross, he wiped his hand on the blanket. Loose hairs and dust stuck to his ejaculate as he tried to get his hand clean. He used the opposite corner to wipe at the fluid that coated his stomach, running his clean hand across his skin to check. He scowled as he encountered dampness still adhering to him. 

It felt so cheap and pointless to have done that. The experience so different to his other bouts of masturbation between sessions with Aeris. On those occasions he had felt invigorated and fulfilled; now he just felt awful. It would be the last time he did this. He would be celibate for now, waiting for when Aeris recovered from her ordeal. That would more then likely just lead to another instance like their first time together in Kalm, but she would forgive him. Deep down he felt sure that she was not going to come around, and that he would be forever waiting for her to say something. Forever wanting to ask if she felt like sleeping with him again, but never daring to. Fearing that the answer would be no, or the pressure of him asking might be enough for her to now reject the idea of sleeping with him.

Either way, he would not pleasure himself until either Aeris recovered, or the affair was over. Getting over her felt like an impossibility. The thought called to mind the many hundreds of romance cliches he had encountered over the years. Characters convinced they can never move on from what they think at the time is a perfect and unshakable love. But in most stories once they moved beyond their past they met someone new; a relationship putting the previous one to shame. It was somewhat unfortunate that life was unlike the cliched stories. 

Having sex with Aeris was unlike anything he had experienced before. He did not want to think of it as something pure. It had been about each other's pleasure, although it was if they connected on some level despite that. Unlike the vivid images he had seen in the past, they were not just two naked bodies brought together to perform for pleasure. They had given themselves to the other to pleasure both of them. 

He shook his head as he dressed, wadding the blanket up to try and keep his secretions inside it. Too late already; his semen was beginning to soak through the material. There was no one in sight outside the hut, the lack of electric lighting gave him ample darkness to sneak through. Cloud glanced at the blanket, trying to decide what to do with it. He figured that throwing it away was a better plan then trying to conceal or washing it. He kept it wadded up and dropped it back into the hut, hoping no one would find it for some time.


	10. Cosmo Canyon

Aeris looked elated when they finally arrived in Cosmo Canyon. Here at last were people outside of Shinra who knew something of the Cetra, people who could tell her more about herself. She split off from the others shortly after arrival to learn all she could from the canyon elders. But when Nanaki bid his friends join him at the top of the canyon some time later, Aeris was downcast and subdued. 

The observatory was both astonishing and horrifying. To see even in simulation the end result of all Mako, all the Lifestream extracted from the Planet had been disturbing. The desiccated husk of their world crumbled away into dust; Barret's words rendered life-like. Yet the experience had also been beautiful. They stood in space and watched the elegant movements of the planets, the stars and the comets around them. Tifa loved to look at the stars, but she had never seen anything like the images Bugenhagen demonstrated. Cloud glanced over to where she sat; even now she was staring upwards, marveling at the clear night sky. He watched her for a few moments in the flickering light of the Cosmo Candle before his gaze strayed to the figure beside her. Aeris ignored the universe above, content to stare at the red rock below. They had not really talked in days and he missed her former chatter. He needed to talk to her, to at least try to reopen the lines of communication between them.

"Hey," he said in a soft tone as he sat beside her, tensing himself for a bad reaction.

"Hey." Aeris sounded distracted.

"How are you?"

"Okay," she said, not looking at him yet, keeping her eyes focused downwards. Cloud nodded, realizing a second later she would not see him. "I learned a lot," Aeris said before he could speak. "I am the last Cetra. The only one. There's no one else like me out there. No one can help me with what I'm feeling, or tell me if it's supposed to be like this. I just thought, that maybe here..." Her eyes flicked to the Cosmo Candle.

"There's still one possibility. There was a scientist, Professor Gast, who used to live here. He devoted his life to studying the Cetra. He..." she swallowed, her voice dropping in volume. "He's the one who found Jenova. He dug her up and... did something terrible. No one seems to know what it was, but the last time anyone saw him, he said he'd misclassified Jenova; she's not a Cetra."

The name Gast rang a bell in Cloud's head and it took him a while to place it; one of the last coherent things he had heard Sephiroth say. It was a fleeting detail, irrelevant next to Aeris's discoveries. "So you're nothing like Sephiroth or Jenova?"

Aeris shook her head. "No. No, they're something... else. I... I want to talk to him. I need to talk to him. About how he got it so wrong, what Sephiroth's mother is. And... about me."

"Does anyone know where Gast is now?"

She shook her head again. "It's been decades since he left, and he wanted to get as far away as possible. If we can find him... But... for now..." She paused, chewing her lip. "I'm... alone."

Aeris look mournful in the flickering light and Cloud started speaking before he knew what he was saying. "But I'm- We're here for you right?"

At last she turned to look at him. "I know. I know, but I'm the only... the only Cetra."

"Does that mean we can't help?" Cloud asked, trying to find something to comfort her.

"I don't know," was all Aeris would say, letting her gaze drift back to the Cosmo Candle. He wanted to say more, but was somewhat relieved when Tifa spoke to him instead. She was talking about remembering things and his return home just days before its destruction. It was hard to focus on her words, his thoughts entangled with concern for the flower girl. But when Tifa paused, looking at him with nervous eyes, her next words resonated in a confusing way.

"It feels like... like you're going far away. You... you are... you. Aren't you?"

There was something discomforting and familiar about the question. Something he had forgotten, and needed to remember. He turned her speech over and over in his head, the mystery drawing his attention away from the situation with Aeris. Tifa refused to say any more leaving him unable to puzzle out what she had just tried to confess. Picking through his memories, he thought back. Before they met in Midgar, they last saw each other in Nibelheim; just days before the inferno that destroyed the town. The thought lead to an uncomfortable reminder. If they carried on in the same direction they would wind up in the ruins of his home town. Could anything have survived the fire? Was anything left there, or would there be nothing but broken, rain-swollen timbers and barren land? They would find out sooner than he wanted. It was at least possible a new settlement sat on the site of the old. Uncomfortable to visit, but more appealing than the wind-swept remains in his head.

Bugenhagen's voice attracted Cloud's attention as he interrupted Nanaki's bitter story about his father. The elder informed his grandson he needed to show him something, insisting he take two companions with him. Nanaki murmured to Aeris, asking if she would object to accompanying him. She nodded her assent and he asked if she minded Cloud joining them. She glanced up to meet Cloud's eyes and smiled; his heart skipped a beat. He tried to dismiss the stirrings of excitement the smile elicited. It was gratifying that Aeris had no reservations about his presence to whatever end Bugenhagen had in mind.

The floating elder lead the trio through winding tunnels away from the bustling centre of the settlement. After a maze of hidden passages, Bugenhagen revealed the truth of Nanaki's father. Far from a coward, Seto had saved the settlement at the cost of his own life. At the elder's request Cloud and Aeris gave Nanaki space to come to terms with the truth. Cloud felt nervous. He needed to say something, but all that came to mind was the question about their arrangement. It felt crass to just blurt out his desire; too abrupt, too out of place. Instead he expressed admiration for Seto's actions, even if they had lead to such a misunderstanding. Something rarely remembered stirred at the back of his mind.

"I don't remember my father," he said with regret in his voice. "Mom wound up raising me on her own after he died. I wish I could have talked to her more about him, but... now she's gone too."

"It's the same with me." Cloud looked up, almost not believing Aeris would respond. "I never knew my father either. My mother, my real mother, couldn't talk to me while we were in Hojo's 'care'..." She trailed off, staring towards the rocky ground. "There was so much I didn't know when Mom took me in. I'd spent my whole life in that lab; I didn't know anything about living outside."

She fidgeted for a moment and looked at him. "I'm glad I got away, but... There was a moment in those first few days when I kind of missed it. I could hear my mother's voice insisting I stay away from Shinra, but it was so different outside. I missed things. Like the technicians; they were never meant to respond to me, but I talked to them all the time. Some of them were almost nice too. I missed them, I missed the routine and the food. I couldn't sleep that first night in Mom's house. Everything was different, the sounds, the sights... just everything." 

Cloud stayed silent as she continued. "But then Tseng came, and that was when I knew I couldn't go back. I refused. But... If he'd tried a few days earlier I... I might have accepted. But I'd learnt far too much by then, the world was so much bigger than anything I'd seen before. I saw the sky, I saw the ground; I could hear the Planet. And no one wanted to take a blood sample. Mom was so good to me; she never talked down to me, always talked to me like I was anyone else. She was so much easier to talk to then anyone in the labs; they were always afraid of Hojo catching them." She sighed. "I hope she's okay. I hope she got out of the city with Marlene."

The mournful howl of Nanaki behind them cut Cloud off before he could reply. Bugenhagen and his grandson appeared moments later, and it seemed as if Nanaki was happier. The relief was almost palpable when they exited those abandoned caves and found their way back to the Cosmo Candle. Cloud felt a pang of jealousy when he saw Nanaki stick close to Aeris and curl up at her side. His friend could spend time with the flower girl in a way he had been unable to before, and seemed impossible now. He dismissed the thought; Nanaki's presence seemed to lift her spirits, and he could not begrudge the outcome. Cloud fidgeted by the fire, needing to do something, anything. Restocking their supplies might work; it would at least pass the time. With any luck he would get several different requests necessitating a hike around most of the canyon to fulfill.

Cloud went around the group asking what each wanted. As he reached Aeris he tensed himself for the hollow feeling, the one that just made him miss their times together. But when Aeris looked up at him, something had changed. She looked less haunted, less lost; now there was a touch of mischief in her eyes and a warm smile on her lips. 

"I had a few things I needed, so I wrote you a list," she said. He smiled back, now reluctant to carry out his mudane time-wasting activity. But all too soon she looked away as Yuffie began demanding some more unusual items. Cloud fought the urge to sigh and wonder out loud why everyone could not just write shopping lists like Aeris. He started scrawling orders on the back of Aeris's note to ensure he would not forget anything.

Cloud read over the list as he left the circle of friends, mentally checking off what each person wanted. Flipping the note over he read Aeris's neat hand-writing listing five items: '3 x potion, a new pillow (if they have any), painkillers, condoms (I think we're running out!), you! (once everyone's asleep)'.

Cloud almost stumbled, feeling blood rise to his cheeks as his body responded in anticipation. Glancing around, he checked no one had noticed and tried to calm himself. He had given up. Obsessing over Aeris was not going to do him any good; his conclusion had been she needed a friend more than a lover at present. But at some uncertain point in the evening, Aeris had changed her mind. She wanted to have sex again and now he was trying to fight back a grin as he wandered towards the pharmacy. 

Cloud's happy state faltered as he entered the shop. The contraceptives sat on a crowded shelf behind the counter. Buying condoms had never been necessary before and he felt nervous at the prospect. Could it be that bad to go up and ask for them? It should be more of a boastful thing; after all buying them allowed him to have sex. But his confidence dissipated as he approached the counter and tried to sort out in his head just what he was going to say. For some reason rather then boastful, buying condoms felt mortifying. No. He had to do this. There were several different brands and types on sale. Which ones had Aeris provided before? He swallowed his pride and nerves as his gaze roved between the packets. He needed to do this.

* * *

Aeris sat perched on the edge of the bed enjoying the growing sense of anticipation. Despite that, there remained a quiet fear that things could still go wrong; a repeat of Gongaga would be distressing. No, thinking like that was too much like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Rather than fail to have sex, she wanted to sleep with Cloud.

At this point it seemed strange to have been without him over the last week. Opportunities to get Cloud away from the group had come and gone while she remained mired in her worries about Zack. Nanaki had been a near constant companion during this time; never saying anything but always making an effort to stay near her. He no longer griped about her patting his nose, or stroking through his fur as though he was an over-grown house cat. Cloud too had helped her get over her worries. As they stood at the end of those hidden passage-ways she talked about her mysterious father. She might also be an orphan; like Cloud and like Tifa who had both lost their second parent in the fiery destruction of Nibelheim. The thought churned through her mind as she walked back; she was looking for answers that were hard if not impossible to find. 

It was when she stared into the Cosmo Candle she finally decided to let go of Zack Fair. Nanaki looked more at ease now he knew the truth about his father, now he had let go of his past feelings. She could do the same. Nothing changed with the thought; it felt too quick, too easy and almost like she was cheating herself. She dug deeper, forming a mental image of Zack based on all her memories of him, all those times they spent together. Staring into his eyes, she said goodbye, letting him sink into the ground to join with the Lifestream. Something heavy on her chest dispersed, leaving her feeling adrift in the world. One of the constants of her life was now gone. Maybe she would run into him again, if he was still alive somewhere. But she could not keep preparing for that situation; if she met him, she met him. If she did not, she did not. She would deal with either outcome as it occurred. It was time to move on. Zack was gone. She blinked at the roaring flames, uncoiling her fingers from Nanaki's mane. What would she and Cloud do now? Should she, no, could she have a relationship with him? She enjoyed his company, she enjoyed sleeping with him. But was it enough to build a relationship? How did one even start again? How should she find out more about him?

There was no doubt about her current relationship with Cloud; they were friends who had sex with each other. It felt as if they were most of the way to a relationship, or had enough of a sign it could work. But she did not want to risk the situation while they were travelling the world like this. Things had been awkward enough after Gongaga and the incident had been nothing like a break-up. Frustrating. She framed thoughts in her mind, considering them. How did she feel about Cloud and how much were her thoughts influenced by her enjoyment of sleeping with him? Would he still be willing to both be with her and advance their situation into something more like a relationship? This was going to need more thought and more conversations with Cloud.

With a rush the desire to be with him came crashing through her and she found herself horny. She wanted to touch him again, missed touching him, missed him touching her. They had wasted enough time; she scribbled a note, smiling as she imagined his expression when he read it. There was a little edge of concern all the same, a tiny fear that he might no longer want her. She pushed the thought away, letting her imagination provide a preview of what was in store for the both of them.

Nanaki bemused her when out of nowhere he stated he would spend the night beside the Cosmo Candle; his room would be vacant. Was that a blink or a wink as he spoke? She stared back at him and he gave an almost imperceptible nod. Ah. It seemed he knew exactly what the situation was, willing to both stay quiet and help out. It was only after she slipped out of the inn that she paused to wonder if Nanaki's room even had a bed. And was it weird to use his room for sex? Too late now, she had made the arrangements and slipped a second note with the location to Cloud. Getting another room at this late hour was going to be difficult and she was not sure she could keep justifying the cost.

Aeris wound her way through the canyon's passage-ways to the room set mid-way into the cliff-side. Why was Nanaki's room here rather then in the observatory at the top? Part of her friend's insistence at maturity? Making a mental note to ask him, she pushed the door open. To her relief there was a bed in the room. Aeris perched on the edge contemplating whether she should tell Cloud just whose room they were in when she heard the door open. A flushed Cloud closed the door behind him. Her nerves prickled now she was alone with him again. The awkward memory of their last time together loomed far too prominent in her mind. Cloud looked nervous too, almost distracted, cute. A little of her fear leeched away.

"Cloud? Are you okay?"

"The pharmacist..."

"The pharmacist?"

"Yeah," he continued. "He kept staring at me the whole time I was buying things, and when I asked for the condoms I just couldn't say which ones. I'm not sure what I got in the end."

He bowed his head and held out a brown paper bag. She took it, peeking at the contents. They should be fine but might not allow the best sensitivity for Cloud. Maybe she should handle this in future. Or-. No, they would use them for now.

"Poor Cloud," she said smiling. "I promise I'll make it up to you..."

His back stiffened at her words. "I... I liked your note," he said, a smile forming on his lips.

"Thank you. I'm glad it had the desired effect."

"Aeris, about before, in Gongaga, I-"

He stopped as she shook her head. "The past is the past. We're not going to worry about that anymore. This is about you and me. I got too hung up on my past and let it take over. We've just got to remember what we agreed. You remember Cloud?" She took a step closer. "We're friends... with a lot of benefits."

His smiled widened at her words and he ducked his head away. She caught his chin and turned his head as she brought their lips together. Oh, my... The effect was electric, heat flashing across her body in a wave, and she so wet. She missed this; yearning for it without realizing quite how much she wanted it. But Cloud was still stood still, trembling; arms hung limp at his sides, fingers curling and uncurling with nerves.

Maybe take things a little slower? Breaking the kiss, she brought her hands up to settle on his chest. He sighed in response. "Did you like that?" she asked, teasing. He nodded and she moved her lips to his neck. "And that?"

"Yes," he breathed.

She slid her hands across his chest and curled her arms around him, pulling them closer together. Licking at his ear she whispered "You can touch me as well. If you want."

A new tremor shot through him. "I... ah, yes." Was he still worried about their last time? She would have to make sure, though she was enjoying all this-

"Oh!" she gasped without conscious effort or emphasis as one of his hands slid down to her bottom. His hand was hot through her clothing and a new wave of heat engulfed her making her eager to strip. And get Cloud naked as well. Slipping a hand under his shirt, she trailed her fingers up his back and then around, coming to rest on his chest. He mimicked the action, his fingers now on her covered breasts.

She murmured with excitement as he plucked at the buttons of her dress. Would Cloud be okay now, or they should keep going slow? The thought melted away as Cloud's hand pushed through the unbuttoned dress to cup her breast. Pulling back she whipped his shirt up over his head, he replying in kind, leaving her in her underwear. Eager to feel his skin against her own she pressed into him.

There was still nervousness in their actions, Cloud seeming content to just feel Aeris's body against his. Though she could not deny the effect was electrifying, she still needed more. Her fingers toyed with his pants, pulling them open and letting them drop to the floor. Every touch was thrilling, every point of contact exhilarating. They were still wearing far too many clothes. And that had obscured a slight worry until now. Despite his clear excitement Cloud's cock was still a little soft. Was he still worried? Aeris ground into his body and caught his hand in hers. Directing his fingers between her legs, she watched his eyes widen a fraction more, his hand now cupping her crotch. She moaned as he rubbed, her breath hitching for a moment as he pushed past the waistband of her panties.

For a fraction of a moment there was worry. One week ago this same action revealed just how distracted she had been, just how impossible it was to not think of Zack. If it happened again-. A surge of pleasure washed the worry away as Cloud's finger slid across her clit making her knees tremble. He stroked back and forward a few times forcing her to take quick frantic breaths. His fingers curled upwards and she held her breath, waiting, wanting, needing.

Aeris let out a breathy, wanton moan of pleasure as his finger slid inside her. Ducking her head to his shoulder, she kissed at the exposed skin. Cloud was rock hard now. She tugged at his underwear, sliding it down his hips a little to reveal his cock. She could go down on him; he had asked and she had agreed. Before she could duck her head, Cloud's finger moved back to her clit again, and it was all she could do to cling to his shoulders. Next time she thought, oh she owed him next time. She closed her hand around his cock and began stroking him. Cloud exhaled with emphasis at her movements, his arm tightening around her waist.

"A-Aeris, I'm not going to last long if you keep doing that," he panted.

"Not been playing with yourself?" she asked between gasping breaths.

He shook his head, eyes tight closed, fingers trying to maintain their rhythm on her. She stroked faster, feeling Cloud tense, he rubbing her at an increased tempo. A juddering breath escaped her as he pushed her closer and closer. Maybe they should both come now, give it a little while and then try once more. It sounded a good plan; she was far too close to stop and doubted Cloud wanted to pause at all.

Cloud came first with a restrained gasp and a buck of his hips, hot cum splattering across her hand and his stomach. He sagged, but continued rubbing her as she kept hold of his cock. Sparks flowed through her as his finger moved, winding her up tighter and tighter, her muscles stiffening. With a snap she came, muscles juddering and she collapsed against him with a cry of fulfillment.

They stood, braced against each other for long moments, each breathing hard. Aeris was not desperate to move away from Cloud's skin, but after that she felt deboned. She needed to sit down. Raising her lips to Cloud's neck, she kissed along it to his jawline and then to his lips. "Thank you," she murmured as she finally let go of him, stumbling to her jacket to retrieve some tissues. Dropping onto the bed she cleaned her hand and watched Cloud out of the corner of her eye. He pulled his underwear off completely revealing that his erection was only a little diminished.

"You look like you could go again already," she observed as she slid her panties down her legs and undid her bra. Just spending time in his company as she waited for him to recover would have made her happy; to skip that step turned her on a little more. It was impressive that he did not seem to need a pause.

"I think I might," he said with a grin. She crossed back to him, kissing him, feeling his hot hardness pressed against her. Definitely no need to wait. Crouching to retrieve a condom from the fallen packet, she darted her lips to his cock. Just a flick of her tongue across the tip, nothing more, but Cloud still groaned with enjoyment.

"Mmm, I'll do more of that next time," she promised as she stood. "Right now though, I want you inside me." With a gentle push, Cloud flopped back onto the bed, Aeris pouncing onto him, rolling the condom down over his cock. She was still so wet from before and he so hard that he slid inside without effort. As their hips met she sighed with pleasure, pausing a moment as her body adjusted to him.

"I missed this," she murmured as she began rocking on top of him. 

"I missed it too," he replied, his fingers straying to her clit. Grabbing his hand, she pulled his hand up to her chest, still a little too sensitive so soon after her orgasm. 

A little later Aeris tightened her legs around him as she lay on her back. He thrust into her, her fingers now stroking across her hardened clit. She cried out as she came for the second time, unable and unwilling to stifle herself. Cloud was more restrained, the release of a heavy breath when he too stilled against her the only hint of his climax. He withdrew, dropping onto the bed beside her, one arm slipping around her waist as his breathing returned to normal.

If ever she had been reluctant to move in the after-glow before it did not begin to compare to the temptation now. They could deal with the consequences in the morning. They would be fine. Aeris sighed. No. She did not want to deal with explaining herself or Cloud if one of their friends caught them sneaking around. They had resumed their pleasurable relationship - that was the main thing. With reluctance, she pushed Cloud away and rose from the bed. No. That felt a little too blunt, a little too much like before. She turned with a smile, thanking Cloud again and leaning forward to kiss him. Aeris was already anticipating the next time, unable to shake the smile from her face as she dressed and snuck back to the inn.


	11. Nibelheim

Cloud began dreaming of Nibelheim burning once they left Cosmo Canyon. He awoke in a panic each night as Sephiroth appeared. Try as he might he could not escape the sight of the man he thought he knew standing in a sea of flames. Cloud had failed in every possible way that night; not one of his actions had lead to a saving grace. He had been unable to save his town, his mother or Tifa. Arriving too late to prevent her near fatal blow, he only reached his friend once she was bleeding on the cold metal floor of the reactor. Small wonder he had never once entertained the notion of returning, though he had not thought of his home before Kalm. But now he had no choice but to go back; crossing the mountains required following the path from Nibelheim. The pursuit of Sephiroth made it unavoidable.

Each night he stumbled from his tent, the cool air outside helping disperse the clinging memories. The devastating sight of flames rushing from his home to join the pillar of smoke surging into the night sky was still so vivid. Even as he calmed, the thought of re-entering the stuffy tent became intolerable. He had taken to relieving whoever was currently keeping watch and sitting by the fire as the night wore away. Tonight though, he found Aeris watching his tent as he emerged. It was neither her turn nor did she seem surprised to see him. Smiling, she patted the ground beside her.

He had wanted someone to talk to, someone to distract him from his worries; Aeris was the perfect choice. Their reunion in Cosmo Canyon had been so amazing, and she now took every opportunity to get them together. It felt so right, so good, and the desire to spend as much time with her as possible resurfaced. But as before he had agreed to be just her temporary bed-mate. Maybe he should just continue to enjoy it and hope for something more in the future? Was it possible their arrangement was only like this because of their journey? What would they do once they foiled Sephiroth's ambitions? 

Cloud resolved to tell her how he felt when things were calmer, bracing to accept her rejection if it came to it. If she no longer felt comfortable around him they could part ways and never see each other again. The thought was unpleasant, but he had no idea how he would act if he confessed his feelings and Aeris did not return them. He frowned; did it make sense for the possibility of her rejecting him to exist when they were sleeping together? For some reason he was not as confident as he might have been once.

"Nightmares again?" Aeris asked as he approached, her gaze drifting to the flickering flames.

Cloud sat beside her and stared into the fire. Despite its significance in his dreams, the sight of it did not affect him, and to his surprise played no part in the foreboding. 

"Yeah," he admitted after a pause.

"Is it about... tomorrow?"

He nodded. "I'm just... worried about what we're going to find."

"And so you can't sleep?" He shook his head. "Want to talk about it?"

"Do you think it'll help?"

Aeris turned to look at him and he found himself staring into her emerald eyes.

"I can at least try to distract you from your problems," she grinned after holding his gaze for a moment.

Cloud found himself smiling in response. "I don't think you'll have any problems." He lifted an eyebrow.

Aeris sighed. "Not like that. And it's pretty much off the cards tonight," she said, sounding a little regretful. It took Cloud a moment to catch the implication. Oh. 

"I didn't mean like that," he exclaimed.

"I'm sure you didn't," Aeris said in an unconvinced tone. She leant against him, squirming for a moment until she found a comfortable position. She grumbled as he moved his arm but sighed with contentment as he slid it around her waist. They sat in silence for a few peaceful, comfortable moments until Aeris spoke again. 

"You know I'm here for you tomorrow, Cloud. So is Barret, Nanaki, Yuffie and Cait Sith. We're all here for Tifa too; we'll help you both if you need us." Cloud glanced at the girl curled against him.

"I know. Thank you."

Aeris fidgeted, her fingers pulling at the ribbon in her hair and clutching at the tiny cargo within. Her braid collapsed into waves of auburn hair that flowed across her shoulders. Aeris brought both hands down to her lap, laying the ribbon flat across her legs. Lifting the small sphere of materia up to her eye-line she stared at it. It was so unusual to see materia like that. Once Cloud might have entertained the notion that the memento was nothing more than a tinted marble. But he had seen his partner in combat so many times, seen her use magic to devastating effectiveness. Aeris knew how to use materia and how to use magic. She would know if that was not a crystallized fragment of the Lifestream. With a sigh Aeris dropped her hand.

"I still can't get it to do anything," she said, sounding frustrated.

"Can... can I try?" he asked almost before he knew what he was saying. He had never dare ask before; Aeris always took great care to stow the materia somewhere safe before any of their clinches. Ever since she first mentioned her useless materia, he had wondered what it might feel like.

She regarded him for a long moment before lifting her hand up. "Sure."

Aeris kept her hand cupped and he felt the warmth of her skin as his fingers brushed against her palm. A familiar chime-like sensation ran through him as he made contact with the sphere. With any other materia he would now expect to gain some new knowledge and find it occupying his mind until he let go. But there was nothing here. No spells now hung on the tip of his tongue, no motions of his hands or mental processes came to mind as if magic was second nature.

There was nothing within the sphere. He gripped it a little tighter, searching through his mind for a hint, an overlooked idea he had not known before. This sole memento of her mother was so frustrating; to feel in every-way like a materia and yet containing nothing.

Perhaps this was a by-product of the crystallization process? Maybe Shinra produced thousands of similar dead spheres alongside the manufactured spell materia. They were useless and so wound up destroyed or discarded. And this one had found its way to Aeris's mother, who concluded it lacked someone skilled enough to trigger the spell within. No. He did not want to believe that either. It seemed implausible that an Ancient could have made such a fundamental mistake. Nor that there could be discards like this he had never heard of or run across.

He handed the sphere back to her with a shake of his head. "No, I can't get anything out of it either."

Aeris nodded, cradling the materia in her hands. "I thought maybe it's not a powerful spell and that's why it's so small. And maybe the reason it never did anything before was because of Midgar. But I keep trying it everywhere we go. I figure if it didn't work in Cosmo Canyon there's not a lot of hope of it working here. I just wanted to try."

Cloud smiled. "It might have worked. I hope we figure it out one day."

"Me too." Silence fell for a moment. "Maybe it's something like I'm not strong enough? Hojo... Hojo said something about me not being as strong. If I was like my mother, might I be able to use it?"

"The last thing either of us should worry about is something Hojo said," Cloud replied as quick as he could. Even the mention of the man's name sent a chill down his spine. "It's obviously materia, it just doesn't seem to contain a specific spell."

Aeris hummed in agreement, her gaze now flitting around the campsite, settling on a small group of flowers. "Do you know much about the flowers around here?"

Cloud followed her gaze, wondering at the abrupt subject change. "Some, but I'm no expert."

She smiled. "I've been thinking about my garden back home, well, gardens. I was thinking I should have been taking seeds or cuttings from all the places we visited."

"And start growing them?"

"Mmm. Well, if I ever can go back without Shinra grabbing me again. I just wish I'd thought of it earlier. Even some of the swamp growths would have been fun to try. And the flowers in the woods where we met Yuffie, and that field just outside Costa del Sol-"

"Don't forget the cacti in Cosmo Canyon," Cloud added, his mind recalling their previous stops.

"Yes!" Aeris's voice rose in volume, her eyes wide. "Now those would be a challenge. I'd never seen anything like them before. Well, I suppose you could say that about so many things. Thanks to meeting you I've seen so much more of the world. I'm not convinced I could have gotten out of the city before."

"Well, you're out now and miles from Midgar."

"Yep." She smiled. "Hey, Cloud? It feels kind of selfish and a bit crazy given who we're chasing, but I kind of hope we wind up following Sephiroth all over the world. Just so I can see it all. Even if it's just this one time."

Cloud contemplated her words. "That is a little crazy. But I can understand it. Though there's no reason we can't carry on after we find Sephiroth. And we can always go back to the places you missed later. Why not start collecting things for your garden now?"

"I like the way you think, Mister Strife."

He smirked. "Happy to be of service Miss Gainsborough."

"So, what is that flower over there?" she asked pointing. 

Cloud squinted at the flower. "If I remember right it's called 'Glory-of-Nibelheim'. It forms its blossoms in the season before winter so its ready to bloom as soon as the snow recedes. Tough plant."

"I've never seen snow," Aeris remarked still staring at the flower.

"Unfortunately, or maybe not, it's the wrong time of year for it. In mid-winter we used to get heavy snow; getting in or out of the town was a real chore. We should be at least a month or two off the first snowfall."

"It would have been nice to see. Maybe if we wind up heading further North..."

She trailed off and Cloud was becoming ever conscious of the warm form pressed against him. Her presence was calming and restful as he listened to the faint sound of her breathing. The tune surprised him when it started, and he felt foolish it took so long to realize it was Aeris was singing. Aeris sang in an alien, yet enchanting tongue unknown to him. He did not recognize the lyrics or the tune, but there was something so familiar about it. Each note seemed to relax his muscles a little more, his eyelids becoming heavy fast. As the last note faded into silence his tongue tripped over itself as he rushed to compliment her.

"T-that was..."

She smiled, tinged with sadness. "A lullaby my mother used to sing on nights when I couldn't get to sleep. I thought maybe it might help you a little? Normal conversation wasn't exactly making you nod off."

Cloud nodded, growing distracted. Had that been magic just then? He stifled a yawn.

"I'll take that as a yes," she replied. "Come on Cloud. You can't sleep out here."

He grumbled, wanting to tell her he would be happy to sleep next to her anywhere. Resisting the impulse, he let her tug him to his feet and direct him towards his tent. Stopping him just outside, she pressed her lips to his. "Sleep tight, and don't forget. We're all here for you."

Cloud smiled, head full of fuzz as sleep started tugging him down. The ground would be comfortable, right? A hand on his back pushed him forwards and he crawled to his sleeping mat. The sound of Barret's machine-gun like snore sounded distant and unimportant. Without another thought he slipped into deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Aeris's eyes blinked open and she sucked in stale air, pushing herself up into a sitting position as her breathing calmed. A shiver ran through her, the vestiges of the dream departing, her senses adjusting to wakefulness. The dream had been nothing but darkness, Aeris unable to move or breath. Trapped deep inside the Planet, away from the surface, away from precious air. In that darkened prison not even the Lifestream could comfort her. The Planet's lifeblood twisted and coiled away refusing to come nearer. She had cried out, calling for help. But there had been nothing but mile after mile of solid rock between her and the surface.

Her nightmares began after they left Nibelheim and decreased in intensity as they moved down Mount Nibel. It had now been three days since Cloud had stared at the perfect replica of his town in bewildered confusion. Three days since Cait Sith doubted Cloud's story, despite Tifa's corroboration of events. Three days since the alarm, confusion, and unanswered questions. As much as the two Nibelheim residents could confirm this was their home, the sight of it still unnerved them both. A perfect carbon copy of a lost town rather than a five-year older version of their home. No new buildings, no modifications, no signs of any kind of technological advancement. Nibelheim had been slow to change, but this settlement was near anachronistic. Yet the town's timeless nature did not extend to its inhabitants; not one recognized either Cloud or Tifa. They in turn recognized no one living there. Defensive strangers were in both their former homes; unwilling to entertain talk of a fire in recent history.

They found fragments of an explanation later, learning the lengths the Shinra company had gone to. How much effort they would exhaust to hide the fate of the once mighty Sephiroth. Despite the scale of the subterfuge, one structure had at least aged in the intervening years; the Shinra mansion. Even though it allowed the freeing of Vincent, Aeris wished they had not entered the building. The laboratory below was the place Cloud watched all semblance of sanity slip from Sephiroth's eyes. The place where the silver-haired man had found his murderous purpose in life and lashed out at the townsfolk. But going there became inevitable; among the fake denizens were mysterious, black-cloaked figures. They seemed to react to Cloud's presence, offering slurred, cryptic messages. Messages that hinted at the presence of their quarry within the mansion.

In the lab two human sized containers of bubbling Mako drew Cloud's gaze in a way that seemed to both terrify and confuse him. Stained medical equipment littered the subterranean chamber, the smell of old blood in the air. Something monstrous had once happened here, something that Vincent knew more of but refused to speak.

"Being here brings back memories, doesn't it?" The voice came from around a turn in the lab. A man with silver hair stopped perusing a nearby shelf and turned to face them. Sephiroth. "Are you going to participate in Reunion?" he asked, staring at Cloud, unfazed as the group scrambled for weapons. Cloud took a cautious step forward. 

"Reunion?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Yes." Sephiroth sounded almost gleeful as he continued, relishing his words. "We will reunite with Jenova and she will once more become the calamity from the skies."

The absurdity of the words did not affect Cloud. "Is... Are you saying Jenova is from another world?"

Sephiroth stared at the former SOLDIER, his eyes narrowing and disdain entering his voice. "I am not sure if you have the right to take part. If you still wish to try, go North, past Mount Nibel."

Cloud's fingers darted to his sword, but it was too late; Sephiroth was already in motion. He moved upwards in eerie silence, passing through the stone ceiling of the lab leaving no trace he had even been there. In the seconds that followed, Aeris noticed Tifa's panicked breathing. She caught the martial artist's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. They needed to get out of the town. It was now imperative; this bastard replica of what had once been Cloud and Tifa's home was doing neither of them any good.

Aeris took charge, eager to be above ground and out in the open again. Even at the top of the spiraling staircase was not far enough away. She felt strangled in the dust and more or less innocent gloom of the manor; they needed to get out. She needed to get Cloud and Tifa out. And she could not rest until they were, pausing only as Vincent stumbled in the afternoon sun. The former Turk held one clawed hand up to keep the sun's rays from his face, eyes squinting in the bright light.

There was only the briefest debate about what to do next; anywhere else they would have made use of the town's inn. In the aftermath of the mansion there was a shared uneasiness about this place; no one felt comfortable there. Aeris had misgivings about following the path North towards Mount Nibel. Did it make sense to follow the route their quarry suggested and cross the mountain? But if it were a trap, it had no skill, no subtlety about it. They set out from the town in the fading afternoon light, taking a chance. 

Later, Aeris was unsure she had made the right decision as night began to fall. They made camp in a cramped fissure on the mountainside, screened off at least a little from the howling wind. The town's Mako reactor perched on the cliff-side high above them, it's running lights just about visible. Even after all these years it still sucked at the lifeblood of the Planet. But there was something different about the wound this reactor had carved into the ground. There was a greater pain here than she had felt near other instances of the same technology. Almost like an older wound the reactor's damage eclipsed; something ancient and secret. The Planet shied away from the scarring Mako extraction caused, but this area felt more empty. No matter where they had traveled before, Aeris had still been able to hear the faint whispering of the Planet. Here there was an oppressive silence.

Tifa mentioned Nibelheim's reactor was the first ever constructed. Perhaps the difference here was a result of the duration of the Mako drain? It made some sense, and yet still failed to explain the emptiness. Even with eight Mako reactors leeching at the ground, Midgar was nothing like this. Aeris feared wandering deeper into the dead zone of the Planet and yet she wanted to know what had caused this difference. But her major concern at present was for Cloud and Tifa. Her friends wished to have nothing to do with the place, the structure featuring large in unpleasant memories. Their discomfort was a distraction she was almost glad for.

Aeris was unwilling to leave either Clour or Tifa alone and stuck close by them during both day and night. Cloud had been beset by nightmares before they reached this place, and suffered more restless nights after. Tifa's continued subdued nature concerned Aeris. In crossing the mountain they had to retrace the pursuit of the madman five years ago, the conclusion agonizing for Tifa. But what had happened in the aftermath? What happened after Cloud's memories failed, after he challenged Sephiroth in that secret chamber? Where had Cloud gone after the conflict and what had befallen Sephiroth? How had Tifa made it to Midgar? It would have made sense for Cloud to be responsible, but was it plausible for him to forget that? Why would he then abandon her without a word in a strange city and begin his mercenary career? So many questions and so few answers. And now was not the time to dwell on them.

Aeris's thoughts turned again to the black-cloaked figures they had encountered throughout Nibelheim. It seemed far too plausible that they were something of Hojo's creation. Too many documents made reference to human experimentation for comfort. The thought of Hojo awoke those feelings of fear she last experienced in Costa del Sol. A little detail niggled at her, something the man had done on the beach. He dismissed her as nothing more than a sample, never bothering to learn or remember her name. She was unimportant to him and a poor substitute for her mother. Hojo also knew who Cloud was. But why? Cloud was just another operative in the Shinra army, not someone like Sephiroth. Yet the scientist knew him by name and had asked if he would be willing to be a guinea pig. Such an implication from the man was heart-stopping for her, but Cloud reacted to what should have been a toothless taunt. What could the scientist have done to him? No, she could not worry about that now; her friends needed her. Tifa needed her. Cloud needed her. Both were shell-shocked and daunted by the town; the past rewritten to exclude them and anyone they had ever known. She did her best to comfort them, singing her lullabye to both each night, trying to help them sleep. Tonight was the first time they had dozed off without it. 

To her left was the sleeping form of Tifa, head cradled on her arms. To her right, Cloud, curled onto his side and facing towards her. Even thought it might wake him, Aeris could not resist stretching out her hand to stroke through Cloud's blonde spikes. Since they had left Nibelheim, he had shied away from any physical contact. It made some things difficult; he needed other people, needed contact, needed to know someone else was there. But so often she found herself unable to do much but sit close to him and talk. He could not shy away while he was asleep at least. Her hand settled into his hair, stroking through the spikes, only halting as two rings of mako appeared. Cloud was awake.

He did not flinch or move away, instead he smiled and she moved her hand again enjoying the first direct contact in days. His skin was so warm. Heat flushed through her, a warm, wonderful sensation settling into her stomach. Her own lips curled in response to Cloud's and now the temptation was there. To curl up with him right now and ignore the night-time terrors. She could enjoy the dark hours in the warm comfort of his arms and be there for him through the entire night.

The sensation was not new; she had been finding it so hard to leave him after sex and they had been sleeping together for some time now. But it had all been part of keeping the relationship physical. She taught him how best to touch her and in turn explored his body, finding where best to touch him. Now she was entertaining something more like a straight-forward relationship. She did not want to sleep away from him, did not want to get dressed again to sneak back to an empty bed.

They should go back to the Gold Saucer and take a holiday. She wanted to try a new relationship, wanted to admit to everyone that she found him attractive and wanted to spend time with him. But she could not say anything just yet. He needed time to overcome the past few days. Tifa needed similar. Now was not the time to find out if Cloud was amenable to dating and how that would change the group's dynamic. How would things be once she admitted everything? Would she be able to sleep in the same tent as Cloud, or would the existing situation stand? Would dating Cloud change how he treated her whenever they got into conflict? Would he turn into a chivalric knight, determined to rescue her from harm when she was capable of holding her own? He should at least know her better then that.

She still needed a little longer. For now she would just be the comforting friend.


	12. Wutai

Aeris's eyes blinked open. How long had she been asleep? She had only intended to close her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth of Cloud's body. Her partner at least was still behind her, his hot skin pressed against her own, his arms wrapped around her. So this was what it would be like. Safe, warm and comfortable. Thoughts and fears seemed so distant, so unimportant. All that mattered was this intimate quiet for just the two of them, pressed together beneath the blankets. Cloud's breath tickled her neck, his breathing regular. Was he asleep too?

Aeris wondered if she could get away with staying like this for the rest of the night. They were at a hotel in Wutai, having spent a good number of hours in and around the attached hot spring. After Yuffie's rescue from Don Corneo's clutches, the ninja had insisted they come here in repayment. Since the White Rose of Wutai, or at least her family, was picking up the bill, each of Avalanche had wound up with their own room. For the first time in so long they were able to sleep on their own. There would be no complaints about snoring or flailing limbs tomorrow morning. It also meant it had been the easiest, simplest and least risky occasion to hook up with Cloud since this journey began. Aeris snuck into his room around eleven; she was not sure what time it was now though it was still dark outside. There was no need to hurry back to her own bed.

Earlier Cloud mentioned wanting to bathe in the hot spring with her. The main bath had closed hours before; even then, mixed bathing was both discouraged and risky for the two of them. But now the idea had taken root and Aeris decided to get Cloud into a bath with her when next possible. She could not help but smile as they shed their clothes and embraced. Even if she could not yet share a bath with Cloud, at least had been able to stop by the hot spring. How long since she had last had a bath? Too long.

Cloud twitched behind her, his breathing settling back into a familiar rhythm. Maybe, just maybe there would be a chance to be with Cloud once more before their friends awoke? More love-making after the passionate encounter they shared some hours before was tempting. Her lips twitched as she considered that particular thought; thinking of it not as sex, but as making love. It felt a little more appropriate after that last embrace; the languid motions of their bodies, the need to be as close as possible, the kisses.

It had been different this time for other reasons too. She waved away his attempts to put on a condom, the action spooking him a little. But she had made her choice from the moment she entered the room; she had no wish to bother with the contraceptives anymore. Aeris shushed away his objections and pulled him to her before he had a chance to protest. He did not need any coaxing once he slid inside her. He felt different as they joined, the sensations new and exciting, the whole act more intimate this way. She fidgeted, remembering the burst of liquid heat, the feel of gooey warmth erupting within her as he climaxed. Cloud had groaned, deep, low and sexy before lying still against her. Even as he caught his breath he apologized for his inability to last any longer. While not as fulfilling as an orgasm, the sensation still felt good and she assured him it was okay. He insisted on making it up to her.

Cloud made her cry out with pleasure moments later. He was so used to her body now, how best to touch her, the rhythms and movements she desired the most. Aeris had squirmed against him in post-coital bliss as he kneaded her breasts, unwilling to move. She should have gotten up soon afterwards, should have not made herself as comfortable as she did. But it had been impossible to resist the lure of lying beside Cloud for one, two, five minutes. She had promised herself no more than another ten minutes in his arms, a few more quiet moments before she left to sleep.

She wanted more. This was worth all the potential problems. To sleep like this every night and wake in the morning in Cloud's arms. She just needed to tell him how she felt, let him know what she had decided in Cosmo Canyon, what she realised after Mount Nibel. And providing she was not somehow misreading every one of Cloud's reactions, she would be able to call him her boyfriend. All she needed to do now was to sit down with him and talk this through. She smiled at the thought of his delighted face and wriggled into his arms.

There was a sharp inhalation behind her; she had wound up disturbing Cloud's sleep after-all. "Morning," she said, pressing back against him, making the best of the situation.

"Aeris?" His voice was thick with sleep. "I thought you'd have gone back to your room."

She smirked. "I would have, but you are far too comfortable. You don't mind, do you?"

The arm around her waist tightened. "Not in the slightest."

"Good." She settled into contented silence.

"Aeris?" He sounded nervous.

"Yes?"

"Are... are you sure it was okay? About before?"

She gave an exaggerated, exasperated sigh. "Cloud; I would hope by now that you would be able to tell when you make me come."

"No, not that," he said, a little stressed. "When I c-, I mean when you stopped me putting the condom on."

Ah. Despite his faint protest back in Kalm, that he was now worried about not using the contraceptives amused her. She twisted around in his arms, gazing into his eyes and ignoring his furrowed brow. "I told you it was okay; I don't regret my decision."

"I know. I mean, I thought you enjoyed it. I just... I could have given you an infection. And you could get preg-"

His eyes were wide with worry when she cut him off with a kiss. Too cute. He blinked at her as she leant back.

"Cloud, I think I need to let you in on a little secret; I'm on the pill. I'm not going to get pregnant."

"Oh. Oh," he said, and blinked. Relief flooding across his face. "But-"

"And I trust you to not give me anything unpleasant." She leant forward and kissed him again. It took him a moment to respond but he started kissing her back and she felt his arousal brush her leg. "So, you have nothing to worry about. I very much enjoyed how that felt, and was planning on not worrying about the condoms from now on. Assuming you don't have a problem with that idea?" Cloud shook his head and his face broke into a sheepish grin. His cock hardened further, pressing into her hip. She glanced down and then back to his face. "Are you by chance wanting to try again now?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," he said, his smile widening. Aeris smiled back and pushed him down. Sliding on top of him, she pinned him to the bed as she shifted her hips back against his.

 

After far too much time lounging in a second post-climax bliss, Aeris forced herself to sit up. She shivered, the air now cold. She had been dozing in short, fitful bursts for some time now, conscious of the lightening sky outside. Cloud still felt far too good pressed against her and it was snug and warm beneath the blankets. She could just stay with him. Either they would deal with the rest of Avalanche learning about them in the morning, or they would somehow be stealthy. It would be fine.If they were caught that could be the start of their romantic relationship. She was fine with that. Or was she? 

Looking down at the slumbering Cloud, Aeris realised she would miss out on the little dating formalities. Had been missing them. She missed the tension as she admitted her feelings, as she confirmed she wanted a relationship and waited for a response. Missed the first date when even touching hands was new and exciting. Missed all the little moments foreshadowing later physical intimacy. She missed the first kiss and how the later kisses would become more passionate. Missed the simple pleasures of learning about the other; what they had in common, what they liked and disliked. 

There was no point in denying she and Cloud would not need those formalities; they were already so comfortable with each other. There was almost no chance of a problem if she asked Cloud out. But still she felt she needed to take him on a date, one that would not end with them in bed together. She might not be able to have all the traditional dating moments, but she could have some of them. Enough to make it seem like the start of a relationship and not just a continuation of sleeping together in secret. They would need to hold off on the sex and try to just date. She just hoped she would not frustrate herself too much while they waited. 

Asking Cloud out would have to wait though. If she asked now, while they were both naked and in bed together, it would not make the distinction clear enough. She would take the next opportunity to have the date she had promised Cloud all the way back in Midgar.


	13. Enchantment Night

After their turn as star performers in Event Square, Aeris suggested they ride the gondola together. The idea gave Cloud a few erotic possibilities; an enclosed cabin far away from prying eyes sounded appealing. To his disappointment, Aeris took the seat opposite his and stared out of the window. Once again Cloud found the thought of making the first move daunting. He needed to say something, suggest they make use of this privacy. It was a lot more certain and safer then hoping neither Barret or Cait Sith returned to his room. Or that Tifa and Yuffie were not in Aeris's. But as was so frequent in their arrangement, making the first move unnerved him. All he could do was watch her admire the fantastic view of the theme park below them.

"It's so pretty," Aeris said, falling quiet as the fireworks began. Explosions burst in the air around them, bright colours lighting up the Gondola's interior. As the display ended Aeris turned her gaze back inside and to her companion. She stared into his eyes, her hands clasped in her lap. Glancing out the window again she said, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Cloud found himself smiling at the comment and nodded. Aeris offered him a faint smile in return, now staring into his eyes again. "It bothered me at first how similar you looked." Her words were confusing. Who did he look like? He opened his mouth to ask, but his partner spoke first. "Two completely different people but so similar in little ways. It's the way you walk, gesture..." She paused, swallowing. "I think I must have seen him again, in you."

She was talking about Zack. Aeris had been comparing him to her former lover, the one she had never moved on from and the one keeping this relationship physical. He tried to keep his face impassive, but despite his efforts he noticed a worried look enter Aeris's eyes. He had given himself away. Her voice took on a comforting tone. "But you're different. The situation is different. Cloud..." She leant forward and placed her hand on his knee, the contact electric. "I'm searching for you. I want to meet you."

The warmth of her touch contrasted with the odd chill building in his chest. His mind whirled as he tried to make sense of her words. He was right here with her. How could she search for him? Why had she referenced Zack not two moments ago? The former boyfriend whose influence on her life he was never going to eclipse, and whose shadow he seemed doomed to stay within. But she had been talking about him; Cloud Strife. How could she not have met him? Not have kissed him in Wall Market, not have slept with him in Kalm and after? How could she claim to be looking for him when he had been beside her the entire time?

"But I'm right here," Cloud said, feeling his brow furrow.

"I know, I know, what I mean is..." she trailed off. "I want to meet... you."

There was something familiar in what she said. Jarring emotions overlapped and he was dizzy. Aeris was leaving him behind; she did not care for him, did not want who he was. She wanted someone else. But even as the bewildering thought coalesced, his mind latched onto her words. She wanted to meet him. She had been talking to him. He was the one she was looking for. She wanted to find him. She could show him the way back. 

He felt lighter, some weight pressing down on him evaporating. It had been there so long he only now noticed it's absence. Aeris was saying all these confusing things; each feeling like both a rejection and an acceptance of everything he was. His body relaxed, the feeling almost post-coital. Not the explosive release of orgasm, but the curious almost magic Aeris seemed able to cast on him when they were together. How she made him feel calm, sated and complete. He felt it now, prompted only by her words and not as a result of lying in the wonderful tangle of her arms and legs.

Was she trying to hint at something? Did she want him to make the first move? Did she now want him to take charge? Unsure of himself he spoke in halting words, not quite believing what he was saying. "If you want to... meet me, you could come over here." He felt his nerves settle, becoming more sure of himself as he spoke. He lifted one eyebrow to emphasize the suggestion.

Aeris started giggling and he knew he had screwed up; it should have been seductive, not a joke. He had misunderstood what she had been talking about. His nerves hitched as Aeris drew in a breath. "We really do need to work on your flirting, Cloud."

Cloud sighed. "I know." He fidgeted for a beat and then took the plunge. "But how about it?"

Aeris regarded him for a long moment, each passing second just adding to his nervousness. This could not be good. He had screwed everything up. "No. I... We shouldn't have sex right now. I want to have at least one proper date first." Cloud blinked. He must have imagined it. He turned her words over in his head, trying to puzzle them out, figure out what they meant as they could not be what he thought. 

Aeris continued. "I know I said we weren't going to get into relationship stuff before, and I know I kept telling you there wouldn't be anything more between us. Gongaga wasn't great for either of us, but it was the push I needed. I've moved on from Zack, Cloud. And I really want to try moving on with you. If- if you want to be my boyfriend?"

The rush behind his ribs was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Forget any previous relationship, any passionate hook-up. Nothing compared to the sheer joy at her words.

"Yes," Cloud said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Yes, I want to be your boyfriend," he repeated as he reached for her hands. They were so warm; he never wanted to let them go. Aeris was offering him what he had hoped for in secret all this time. He would be able to walk with her without worry, curl up with her at night in tents and inns. Which was in turn going to alter the group's dynamic somewhat. "What do we tell the others?" Even as he asked he tried not to smile too much.

"I don't know yet," Aeris said. "I just think we need to take things a bit slower and calmer than we have done. And I don't think we should sleep together so soon after getting into a relationship. So, we're going to cool off for a while and do normal dating things. We'll arrange the first date soon."

"Does tonight not count?" Cloud asked without thinking. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, and there was the fear once more.

"No. I only just asked you out. Tonight was what I owed you for being my bodyguard. Our first date is still to come." Her expression softened after a moment and now she was smiling at him. "I will, however, be okay with you kissing me," she said.

She leaned towards Cloud until their lips met. Their first kiss as boyfriend and girlfriend. The gondola rumbled into the station, disrupting the moment. Cloud was almost tempted to suggest they try riding the attraction again, but Aeris was already getting out. He followed, wondering if it would be appropriate yet to take her hand. No, too fast again - wait for the date. "I had a great time tonight. Any chance we can come back here again sometime?" Aeris asked looking up to the starry sky above them.

"I think I can arrange it," Cloud said. He checked his watch; it was later than he expected. The evening was almost gone and he was not eager to head back. But; the sooner they went to sleep the sooner the next day would come, and with it the opportunity for their first date. Cloud was about to ask what Aeris wanted to do tomorrow when she frowned, staring at something ahead of them.

"Hey, what's Cait Sith doing?"


End file.
